Waldorf Astoria
by melbelle310
Summary: When the HSM gang plans a trip to NYC for Gabriella’s 17th birthday, Troy and Ryan both have plans of their own...Chaylor and Zekepay are already going strong, but what about Troyella and Ryelsi? Read to find out! Now Complete!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** I already wrote this entire story, so I should be posting a chapter at least once a week. I based it off a trip I took with a few friends over Memorial Day weekend, with lots of twists and turns. Some of theses events actually happened, but half of it is fiction and wishful thinking. The question is: which half?

Warning to all: this story focuses fairly evenly on both Troyella and Ryelsi...don't like, don't read

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any aspect of the High School Musical franchise.

"Good morning, Mami!" Gabriella greeted, bouncing down the stairs.

"Good morning, mija," her mother smiled. Ever since they had moved to Albuquerque, Gabriella was bouncy. She needed no wake-up call, nor did she fuss about getting to school on time. Of course, Ms. Montez suspected this had to do with something at East High...or actually, someone. Troy Bolton, also known as Gabriella's "best friend".

Another girl, the spitting image of Gabriella, bounced down the stairs behind her older sister. On this day, both girls wore dark blue skinny jeans. Gabriella wore a light pink shirt to contrast her Latina skin, and Sophia chose sky blue for the same reason. The girls sat side by side at the kitchen table, where their mother had set out everything they needed for their morning bowls of Cheerios.

The breakfast table was filled with chatter about special events coming up. Too quickly, it was time for Gabriella to hop onto the morning bus. She picked up her messenger bag and grabbed her favorite white jacket off the coat rack.

"Have a good day Mami!" she called over her shoulder as she opened the front door. "See you later, Sophia!"

She closed the front door and jogged down the path, then the driveway, until she reached the road. She quickly glanced to both sides before scurrying across the road, where the bus picked her up every morning.

Arriving at school, Gabriella headed straight for her locker, as usual. There, Troy joined her.

"Good morning," he greeted brightly. They launched into a lengthy conversation about the homework from the previous night.

"I'm so excited for next weekend," Troy grinned, moving into the subject smoothly.

"I know-it's going to be so much fun!" Gabriella squealed. She leapt into the details-what to wear, specific times, and other things she hadn't yet mentioned, along with everything she had. Chad and Taylor watched them from a distance.

"This is starting to get on my nerves," Chad complained, referring to his best friend and the smart girl at his side. His girlfriend rolled her eyes.

"If it's meant to be, it'll happen. We just have to stop _interfering,_" she emphasized, "and give it time. I'm sure Gabi and Troy will confess eventually."

"Fine," Chad grumbled. Taylor took his hand and led him to their friends.

"Hey lovebirds!" Chad greeted, brightening instantly. It was his morning ritual. Taylor elbowed his stomach, Gabriella blushed, and Troy scratched the back of his neck awkwardly-their morning rituals. Taylor changed the subject.

"So, is everything set for next weekend?" she asked. Gabriella nodded excitedly.

"You bet. We have everything ready to go. That reminds me-I have to give you all the final details!" she exclaimed. The two girls ran off to discuss last-minute specifics.

"When are you going to tell her?" Chad asked. Troy rolled his eyes and followed the girls to homeroom without responding. Gabriella and Taylor were already talking to Kelsi, who had been moved to their homeroom for the rest of the year.

"I can't believe we're staying at New York's fanciest hotel!" Taylor squealed. Just then, the Evans twins strolled in. Sharpay walked past the other girls to greet Zeke with a small kiss on the lips before returning to the girls, dragging Ryan with her.

"Good morning, ladies," Ryan greeted, tipping his hat. He and Kelsi shared a private glance, and the other girls nudged each other silently. Troy walked past and grabbed Gabriella's waist, pulling her away from the crowded desk.

"Troy," she whined, annoyed at him for pulling her away from her other friends.

"Gabriella," he mimicked.

The bell rang, sending the students to their desks. They sat, paying no attention to their overly dramatic teacher at the front of the room. Instead, the students thought about the weekend ahead. After all, what else do you think about on a Friday morning?

* * *

"Where are we going?" Sharpay asked.

"Unlike you, Kelsi and I don't have closets full of clothing. We need to buy a number of things for Gabriella's celebration next weekend, so we're going to the mall," Taylor sighed, slightly annoyed with the blond.

"Well then why am I going?" Sharpay complained. Kelsi took over.

"Because we need your blunt fashion expertise." No more was needed to convince Sharpay.

"Come on ladies, hurry up! We've still got to check 4 more stores!" Sharpay ordered. Taylor emerged from her dressing room. Sharpay took one look at her.

"No," she decided. "Absolutely not." The same decision was handed down to Kelsi. After exhausting all their possibilities at that store, they moved on. So far, the shopping trip had brought limited success. They had limited information on how formally they needed to dress, so they were figuring it out as they went.

"Perfect," Sharpay beamed at last. Kelsi looked in the mirror again, unsure if the dress was the right choice for her.

"Are you sure?" she checked. The dress was not what she usually wore. Then again, Kelsi rarely wore dresses in general. This particular dress was knee-length. It was silky, midnight blue and strapless. To cover her shoulders, Kelsi had grabbed a white cloth shrug. Sharpay smiled.

"Trust me-it's exactly what you need to impress Ryan," she reassured, ignoring the smaller girl's look of total shock. How could Sharpay have possibly known about her secret crush? "Taylor! Hurry up!" Sharpay called into the next dressing room.

"No way! I'm not coming out!" After a bit of cajoling, Taylor reluctantly opened the door.

"You're not wearing that," Sharpay dismissed. "I'm not _letting_ you wear that." Taylor stepped back into the dressing room, grateful that Sharpay agreed with her decision. She came out wearing her jeans and a dressy red top. Kelsi jumped in before Sharpay could.

"Buy it," she said. Sharpay nodded her agreement.

"With a little black skirt, it'll be perfect for the show."

"Uh, guys? There's one problem with that-I don't have a little black skirt," Taylor pointed out.

"Why are you so impossible?" Sharpay groaned. Kelsi ran from the dressing room area. When she returned, she was carrying a short black skirt.

"I've trained you well," Sharpay praised, a tear in her eye. Taylor laughed and took the skirt, which she decided to keep. After a few more stops, the girls left the mall that evening, ready for the approaching celebration. At least, as ready as they could be with what little information they had received.

* * *

"Okay, I'll wear dress pants and a collared shirt, but do I really have to wear a tie?" Troy asked Gabriella. They were talking on the phone.

"Yes and a sports jacket, too. And tell Chad that the rules also apply to him," Gabriella repeated. She had already told the boys four times that they needed to dress up, but they didn't want to believe it. So they kept asking.

"Fine, we'll get dressed up. Just remember that we're only doing this for you. You'd better be grateful." She giggled on the other end of the line. "I have to go-it's time for dinner," Troy sighed. If he had the chance, he would stay on the phone with Gabriella for hours.

"Alright-video chat tonight?" she asked hopefully. She didn't want to hang up, either. He nodded before remembering that she couldn't see him.

"You bet."

* * *

"So, mija, what should I make for dinner on Friday?" Ms. Montez asked her daughter at the dinner table Tuesday night.

"Make spaghetti and meatballs! It's Troy's favorite," Sophia teased. Before Gabriella could defend against that, their mother jumped in.

"Everyone loves spaghetti and meatballs," she pointed out.

"Not Taylor," Gabriella replied. "She doesn't like meatballs or meat sauce."

"What about meatloaf?" Ms. Montez tried.

"Nope-Chad can't stand it," Gabriella shot down one idea after another.

"That's it-we're going to the Buffet," Ms. Montez decided. It was too difficult trying to coordinate the appetites of eight teenagers and a pair of little sisters, plus five extended family members. Some things were better left to professionals.

"That sounds like a plan," Gabriella agreed. Sophia nodded. The celebration was shaping up to be the best they had ever planned.

* * *

"Today's Thursday," Kelsi stated. The others nodded. All eight teens were assembled in the hallway, ready to leave.

"But it feels like a Friday," Ryan pointed out.

"That's because we have no school tomorrow," Zeke explained, wrapping his arm around Sharpay's shoulders.

"Yeah-we just have the most amazing seventeenth birthday party ever!" Taylor squealed.

"Remember-be at my house at five, okay?" Gabriella reminded them, leaning into Troy. He wrapped his arm around her waist instinctively. Gabriella ignored her friends' smirks as they nodded. Each went a separate way, pumped for the weekend that awaited them.

**Next Chapter:** everyone gets ready to go to New York, plus a few key characters you haven't met before...


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Here's chapter 2! Thanks to ScRuPuLoUs, rockyshadow, digigirl02, and krfan for reviewing! Hoping to get at least six this chapter?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any aspect of the High School Musical franchise.

When Friday rolled around, the gang was more excited than ever. Each teen got ready in a slightly different way...

Zeke spent the day baking, of course. He made a double batch of his famous chocolate chip cookies along with his gift for Gabriella. Ever since his friends had learned of his baking talent, it was illegal for him to show up without bringing something. Additionally, Sharpay would be there. Even though they were already dating, he still loved to woo her with cookies.

* * *

Sharpay and Ryan spent hours in the walk-in closet that joined their rooms. The twins went through every outfit they could find.

"This is hopeless," Ryan finally gave up. "There's nothing in here that I can wear to get the point across." She gasped, ignoring his speech.

"Ryan-I found it! It's perfect-Kelsi will love it!" He stared at her. She was holding up a jet-black suit with a white collared shirt and a dark blue silk tie.

"What do you mean?" he defended too quickly.

"It's called twin telepathy. Plus it's so obvious that you like her. I already helped pick out her dresses, now I'm helping you with your suits. Now go put this on your bed while I find a hat to match." Ryan didn't argue-he knew better than to disagree with his sister.

* * *

Kelsi faced a similar problem as Ryan. Sure, she already knew what some of her outfits would be-but she wanted to impress him all weekend, not just part of it. She couldn't go too far out with her clothes, though-her shy, hidden self still demanded a bit of structure. Why did being a teenager have to be so hard?

* * *

Chad slept in until noon. Upon realizing that he only had five hours to finish his homework and pack, he called for backup. His girlfriend.

Taylor finished her homework by eleven and packed her suitcase by noon. Just as she was checking over her packing list, her cell phone rang.

"Hey Chad...you haven't started your homework or packed!...yeah, I'll be right there." Wasn't _she_ supposed to be the damsel in distress? Upon arriving at the Danforth's home, Taylor was greeted by Chad's little sister, Sarah. She was the same age as Sophia. Sarah was joining them on the trip as Sophia's guest. Taylor poked her head into her boyfriend's messy room.

"You keep working on your homework," Taylor ordered Chad. "I'm going to help your sister pack." Without waiting for a response, she left.

* * *

Troy spent the entire day at the mall, searching frantically. Leave it to him to forget to buy a gift. This gift, in Troy's mind, was his way of telling Gabriella that he liked her as more than a friend. It had to act as the bridge that brought him from "best friend" to "boyfriend." Therefore, he ran through every store in the mall until he found the perfect gift.

"Excuse me, miss? I'd like to purchase that," he requested, pointing his selection out to the store clerk. She smiled.

"Buying this for someone special?" she asked conversationally as she unlocked the jewelry case. He nodded. "Excellent choice. Would you like it gift wrapped?" He nodded again. She took her time with the wrapping paper. He paid for the gift and left the store, calling his mom to come pick him up as he ran into the card store.

Twenty minutes later, he was home again, packing his suitcase. His mom poked her head into his room.

"Did you finish your homework?" she checked. He nodded. She laughed as he tore through his drawers.

"I can't find my dress slacks!" he whined in response.

"In your closet, dear," she replied calmly. After a few minutes of helping her son from the sidelines, Mrs. Bolton took over. Teenage boys couldn't be trusted to do anything on their own.

* * *

Gabriella's day was relatively stress-free. She had packed the previous night, as had her mother and sister. All the reservations had been made, tickets printed, movies rented, and supplies purchased-now they just needed the partygoers.

At 4:45, the Montez's doorbell rang. Gabriella leapt off the couch, racing her sister to the front door. They both got there at the same time. Gabriella reached for the handle and pulled the door open.

"Hey Troy," she greeted.

"Hey Gabriella," he replied. Sophia cleared her throat. "Hi Sophia," he added, carrying his suitcase into the house. Gabriella was watching Troy intently, admiring him and trying not to let him see.

"What?" he inquired, noticing immediately. He could always tell when her eyes were focused on him. "Did I forget to brush my hair or something?" She shook her head.

"This is just the first time you've ever been early for something," she covered, hiding the true reason she had been staring at him. He racked his mind for an explanation other than the truth.

"I was done early, so I figured I'd spend some time with you before everyone else got here. You know, rights of the best friend," he joked.

"Speaking of best friend, where is Taylor?" she flirted. His eyes narrowed.

"Take it back," he ordered with his voice low. She shook her head. He ran to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and lifting her off the ground. She squealed.

Sophia, forgotten to this point, picked up her digital camera, which was sitting on a table beside the door. She snapped half a dozen photos of the pair, just in case she would need them that weekend. And even if _she_ didn't need them, she and Taylor had become very close. Taylor would be able to find something to use them for...

Once Troy put Gabriella down, the two teens sat on the couch. They chatted about inconsequential topics until the doorbell rang at 4:55.

"Hey Kelsi!" Gabriella greeted excitedly, welcoming the smaller girl into her home. Kelsi stepped in, carrying a suitcase that was clearly heavy. Troy immediately stepped in to take the bag.

"Sorry I'm a little early," Kelsi apologized. "My dad and I weren't sure how long it would take to get to your house, so we left with a little time to spare."

"Don't worry-it's not a big deal," Gabriella assured. Two minutes later, the doorbell rang again. Zeke entered, carefully guarding his Tupperware. Though both the girls knew what was inside, neither touched them. Zeke's new rule was that any one who tried to steal cookies got none at all. Even Sharpay had to obey him.

At promptly 5 o'clock, Taylor arrived. Sarah was by her side, a wide smile on her face. They had somehow managed to drag Chad along, and he was on time for the first time in his entire life. Well, at least since preschool.

"Is this everyone?" Gabriella's mother asked. Gabriella looked around. She shook her head.

"Ryan and Sharpay aren't here yet," she contradicted. As if on cue, the doorbell rang.

"That must be them," Kelsi spoke up. Troy, who was closest to the door, reached out for the handle.

Sharpay entered first, decked out in pink as usual. Behind her, Ryan was struggling with both of their bags. The teenagers laughed at the look of complete confusion that adorned his face.

"Need a hand?" Chad offered, chuckling. Ryan nodded. Chad grabbed Ryan's hat, which he was holding between his teeth. As he started to walk away, Taylor grabbed his arm.

"Chad! Be a gentleman and help Ryan!" she scolded.

"Fine," Chad agreed, dragging out the vowel. He placed the hat on his head and grabbed the black suitcase from Ryan's left hand.

"You do know that was just in Ryan's mouth, right?" Zeke checked, referring to the black fedora.

"Take it off! Take it off!" he yelled, suddenly realizing the truth in Zeke's words. Kelsi reached up, trying to remove it from Chad's head.

"You're too tall," she pouted. Chad bent his knees so he was at her eye level. She gingerly removed the hat from Chad's head.

"Here," she said meekly, placing it on the head of its rightful owner. She took a step away. "It looks much better on you," she complimented shyly.

"Thanks," Ryan replied. Kelsi wasn't sure if he was thanking her for retrieving the hat, or for the compliment, but it didn't matter. Her friends, looking on, exchanged glances of various forms. The boys were wary-the basketball team considered Kelsi to be their little sister. Like protective older brothers, they were always looking out for her. On the other hand, the girls were grinning. The flirting they witnessed proved that Kelsi would be safe with Ryan, and vice versa.

Sophia broke the silence.

"Are you going to stand there all day, or are we going to go to dinner?" she inquired. Chad's stomach growled.

"Let's eat!" He put the suitcase down on the ground, pointing out the spot for Sharpay's to Ryan.

The teens walked out of Gabriella's house. Zeke's mom was standing beside Gabriella's mom. There were two minivans, with enough space to transport all 10 in the group. Gabriella turned to her friends.

"We're going to split into two groups to ride to dinner. Sarah, Sophia, Taylor, Troy and I will go with my mom. Kelsi, Sharpay, Ryan, Zeke, and Chad will go with Zeke's mom," she explained. Chad snorted, trying to contain his laughter.

"What's so funny?" Zeke asked.

"Troy has to ride with the girls," Chad teased. Taylor tapped the back of his head lightly.

"What have we discussed?" she scolded. He bowed his head shamefully.

"I have to be nice, and think before I talk, or I'll end up making more awkward moments than I already do," he droned. Taylor smirked, proud of her work. They all laughed. Taylor and Chad's relationship was very entertaining for the rest of the group. She refused to take an inferior position, and never let him forget it.

As they piled into the two cars, seating was arranged. Sharpay and Zeke climbed into the back of Zeke's car. Chad took the front seat, leaving Ryan and Kelsi next to each other. In Gabriella's car, Taylor sat up front. Sarah and Sophia shooed Troy and Gabriella into the back row, claiming the middle.

"Can we get some music?" Kelsi asked Mrs. Baylor politely as they pulled out of the driveway. Zeke's mom nodded, asking Chad to control the radio. He turned it on, listening for a moment before flipping through the preset stations. When Sharpay yelled at him to "just pick a station already," he settled on Sara Paxton's version of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight." As soon as it came on, Ryan and Kelsi's glances met.

"Um...Chad, would you, um, would you mind changing the uh, the station?" Ryan gulped. Chad shrugged, reaching out to try another station.

"Don't you dare!" Sharpay shrieked. He pulled away from the radio as if he had just shocked his finger on a doorknob. Kelsi sighed nervously. As the song continued, she looked out the window on her left, tears pricking her eyes but refusing to fall. She felt Ryan's eyes watching her, concerned. Chad, too, had turned around and was watching her, acting like the big brother he was. She knew she wouldn't be able to hide from this-she would have to explain it all, facing her past for the first time in years.

Meanwhile, Taylor had taken over the radio in the other car. "Every Time We Touch" by Cascada came on, and she let it play. Gabriella and Troy spent the time glancing awkwardly at each other. Their hands had been resting gently on the seat between them since they had entered the car, but they slowly pulled them away, trying to ignore the truth in the song lyrics. Taylor watched them in the rearview mirror, wishing they would move past their inhibitions and become a couple.

"Alright, we're here," Ms. Montez announced, pulling up to the entrance. The other group pulled up behind them. "Why don't you guys go in and sit down while we park." Needing no additional invitation, they filed out of the car, and their friends did the same.

Taylor and Chad automatically gravitated towards each other. Zeke still held tight to Sharpay. Sarah and Sophia were lost in their own world. This left Troy and Gabriella together with Kelsi and Ryan. Luckily, the foursome had spent enough time together doing the Winter Musical that they could ease into a conversation at almost any time.

Gabriella led the group into the crowded restaurant. The maître-d looked at her, slightly worried about the size of the group.

"We have a reservation for Montez, party of 16," Gabriella informed her. Wordlessly, the woman led them to their seats. Gabriella, the guest of honor, sat at the head of the table. Troy sat on her right, and Taylor was on her left. Zeke took the spot next to Troy, with Sharpay on his other side. Chad immediately stole the open seat next to Taylor, and Ryan cautiously sat beside him. Kelsi was the last to decide, finally settling on the open seat beside Ryan. Sarah, and then Sophia, sat with her as well.

Gabriella's cousin Elisabeth sat next to Sophia. Gabriella's mom took the seat directly opposite from her older daughter, next to her niece. On her other side sat Zeke's mother, followed by Gabriella's aunt and uncle and their sons, Christopher and Timothy.

The twelfth and final member of the traveling group, Elisabeth was 14 years old, the same age as Sophia and Sarah. Though her mother (Ms. Montez's sister) was a Latina, Elisabeth looked nothing like her. She got her looks from her father-straight sandy brown hair and blue eyes. Her skin was a few shades lighter than that of her brothers. She was generally quiet, but when she spoke, people listened.

Christopher and Timothy were 11-year-old identical twins. Their skin was the rusty color of their mother's, and their hair was jet black. Their dark brown eyes always held a playful, mischievous glint. They were always up for a good joke and were viciously loyal to their friends and family.

Once everyone was seated, Troy, Chad, and Zeke raced to the buffet line, followed by Christopher and Timothy. Sophia introduced Sarah and Elisabeth, and the three girls strolled to the line. Sharpay stole her brother away to carry her food. Finally, only Gabriella, Taylor, and Kelsi were left standing near the table. From the looks on their faces, Kelsi could tell that Gabriella and Taylor knew about the incident in the car, and that they wanted all the details.

"You heard, didn't you," she checked nervously. They nodded. "I'll tell you later," Kelsi consented. They nodded.

"You definitely will," Taylor agreed. As they walked toward the buffet line, Chad walked past them with a plate full of food. As he neared them, he started whistling the tune that was stuck in Kelsi's head, the one about which everyone was wondering. She blushed.

"Remind me to kill Chad tonight," she muttered to Gabriella as their whole group looked at her. Gabriella giggled. The trip was already turning out to be better than she had dreamed-much better.

**Next Chapter:** Back at Gabriella's house, Kelsi discovers the electric piano and Chad reveals something the others never knew...


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Chapter 3-hope you all like it! There's an idea that I introduce in this chapter that I will continue to touch on throughout...read the note at the end of the chapter for more on that. Leave me a message to let me know what you think of this chapter-I got 6 reviews on the last chapter, like I'd hoped...can we shoot for 7 this time around?

Thanks to krfan, ScRuPuLoUs, Playmaker Kelsi, fallinrain, rockyshadow, and digigirl02 for reviewing! Lots of love to Stef, my beta reader and one of my best friends!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any aspect of the High School Musical franchise.

Returning to Gabriella's home, everyone piled back out of the cars. They jogged down the stairs to the finished basement.

"Hey Taylor, can you go grab the supplies from the closet?" Gabriella called over her shoulder, searching for something in a toy trunk. Taylor turned to the closet and pulled out poster board and some new markers just as Gabriella emerged from the trunk, holding up black and silver Sharpies. They were going to make posters for the TODAY show, which they would be attending in New York.

They decided to allow Kelsi and Gabriella to do the main work on the posters, since they were the only two with any artistic ability. Taylor followed Gabriella, outlining the letters. Troy and Chad colored them in. Ryan, coloring, joined Kelsi, and Sharpay and Zeke did nothing due to the lack of space that remained.

"Do you kids want cake?" Gabriella's aunt called down to them from the top of the stairs.

"We'll be up in a minute," Gabriella replied. They set the posters aside so the glitter they had added (Sharpay's idea of course) could dry and wandered up the stairs.

Gabriella cut the cake expertly, handing out slices to all her friends, then to her family members. She giggled as Troy, seated beside her again, patted a bit of icing on her nose. The other girls rolled their eyes at the pair.

Finally, Christopher, Timmy, and their parents left the celebration. Gabriella hugged them goodbye, promising to take care of Elisabeth on the trip. Elisabeth skipped off to Sophia's room and Gabriella returned to her friends, attempting to avoid the knowing looks she received as she sat on Troy's right.

"Open your presents," Chad goaded. The others nodded, so she agreed. She grabbed the top present from the pile.

"Card first," Taylor reminded her, pointing to the card on top. Nodding, she opened it. She read it silently with a small smile before moving on to the gift in her lap.

"Thank you," she gushed, holding up the leather-bound notebook for the others to see. Opening the front cover, she saw the calligraphy that personalized the gift. Gabriella leaned over to her right, hugging Taylor. Chad passed his gift over.

"That's just from him," Sarah jumped in from over his shoulder. She, Sophia, and Elisabeth had just joined the older teenagers. Under the wrapping paper, Gabriella discovered a basketball, covered with signatures. The most prominent was Troy's, but there were also signatures from all the other basketball players.

One by one, each of her friends passed a gift down the line. From Sharpay and Ryan came a set of bright pink hoop earrings and a gorgeous necklace, the price of which she didn't even wish to fathom. Zeke finally gave her the cookies he had baked. Sarah and Sophia gave her a necklace and bracelet set (they had pooled their allowances).

Kelsi's gift was a CD of all Gabriella's favorite songs. Instead of using the originals, she had gathered all their friends to sing them. Kelsi played the piano accompaniment and Troy added guitar. Troy, Kelsi, Sharpay, Ryan, Sarah, Sophia, and even Chad, Taylor and Zeke all provided the vocals.

"Thanks, you guys!" she squealed, pulling them all in for a group hug. When she pulled away, she had tears of joy in her eyes.

As she turned around, she noticed Troy standing behind her.

"I hope you don't mind," he whispered, "but you're going to have to wait for your last gift." She cocked an eyebrow. "I have it, but it's a little more personal. I'll give it to you when we have some time alone."

"Okay," she agreed, nodding. The group dispersed for a few moments while everyone changed into pajamas. The girls shooed the boys down the hall, insisting that they needed total privacy to have an important discussion. They changed quickly, gossiping all the while.

"Is that boy ever going to ask you out?" Taylor began. Her comment was clearly directed at Gabriella. "I mean, you're constantly flirting."

"Do I really have to tell you this again?" Gabriella sighed.

"We know, we know-you're 'just friends'. But we also know you have huge crush on him. Come on, he's practically your prince charming," Sharpay replied.

"I do not," Gabriella argued.

"Sure you don't," Sharpay replied, her tone doubtful. Gabriella rolled her eyes. Taylor, scrolling through Gabriella's iPod, squealed. The MP3 player had been sitting on the desk in the corner of the room.

"What?" Kelsi asked.

"You have a Troy playlist! That is so cute!" Kelsi bolted upright and ran to the electric keyboard on the other side of the basement, acting on a sudden burst of inspiration. She started playing a few chords, returning to an idea that she had tinkered with earlier in the week.

Eager to escape Taylor and Sharpay, Gabriella followed Kelsi. Kelsi pulled out her book of manuscript paper. She erased a few lines of the lyrics and replaced them, and then started singing the lyrics she had. Meanwhile, Taylor and Sharpay called the boys back in.

_Na na na na, na na na na yeah  
You are the music in me  
You know the words Once Upon A Time  
Make you listen. There's a reason.  
_

Gabriella took a deep breath and joined Kelsi just as Troy and the other boys came back into the main room. Troy placed his hand on Gabriella's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. Ryan leaned against the wall next to the keyboard and folded his arms, watching Kelsi proudly. She had shown him a few of her new pieces, and this was his favorite.

_When you dream there's a chance, you'll find_

_A little laughter or a happy ever after_

Kelsi looked away from her music for a moment and nodded to Troy, indicating that he should join them. His voice took the place of hers, mixing with Gabriella's perfectly.

_Your harmony to the melody_

_It's echoing inside my head_

Kelsi glanced at Ryan, her eyes twinkling. He grinned wider and stepped closer to her seat. He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, knowing how much it bothered her to have anything distracting while she was playing.

_A single voice (single voice)_

_Above the noise_

_And like a common thread_

_Hmm, you're pulling me_

Chad picked up the beat and started playing a backbeat on the drum set hidden in the corner. Everyone was shocked-neither Troy nor Taylor nor anyone else knew of Chad's secret talent. Taylor just smiled and joined him, wrapping her arm around his shoulder.

_When I hear my favorite song_

_I know that we belong_

_Oh, you are the music in me_

Zeke wrapped his arms around Sharpay's waist, pulling her closer. She blushed, but didn't fight the embrace. She and Taylor shared a look, clearly making similar observations. The two girls had decided that they would interfere that weekend, if necessary, to help Kelsi and Gabriella get into relationships with Ryan and Troy respectively. It was starting to look like their assistance would not be needed.

_Yeah it's living in all of us_

_And it's brought us here because_

_You are the music in me_

Gabriella leaned back. Troy had a hand on each of her shoulders. As the song ended, she dared a glance at the boy who fit its description (at least in her mind). She was pleasantly surprised to see him gazing back at her, his eyes filled with admiration.

_Na na na na (Ohh)_

_Na na na na _

_Yeah yeah yeah (Na na na na)_

_You are the music in me_

"Kelsi, that was great!" Gabriella complimented. Kelsi blushed.

"It's not done yet," she protested.

"Kels," Ryan interrupted. "It sounds amazing," he complimented sincerely.

Sharpay smirked knowingly at Ryan and Kelsi, and then raised her eyebrows at Gabriella. Ignoring her friend, Gabriella launched into the next phase of the slumber party.

Movie time.

Gabriella pulled out one of her favorite movies: Get Smart. Judging by the reactions around the room, only Chad and Taylor had seen it. She popped it into the DVD player, ready for the laughter to begin.

Speaking of Chad and Taylor, Gabriella couldn't help but notice how comfortably they were snuggled together. They were sitting on the large loveseat. Chad was leaning on the arm of the couch and Taylor was cuddling up to Chad. On Taylor's other side was Zeke, his arms wrapped around Sharpay's waist, holding her secure on his lap.

While the loveseat faced the TV directly, the other couch faced one of the sidewalls. The TV had been positioned so it could be seen by any spot on either couch. Ryan and Kelsi sat side by side on the second couch. Troy was also sitting on the second couch, leaving a space open just large enough for Gabriella. Taylor and Sharpay snickered as Gabriella slid in between Kelsi and Troy. To make room, Kelsi scooted closer to Ryan, angling her body and leaning back against him to see the movie better.

"Wait for us!" Sophia called. She, Sarah, and Elisabeth had changed upstairs and returned just in time to see the previews.

"Sophia, can you get the blankets?" Gabriella requested.

"Sure," Sophia agreed. She jogged out of the room and pulled six blankets out of the closet across the hall. She handed the top two to Sarah and Elisabeth, who were leaning against the long couch. Then Sophia passed a blanket to each of the couples for them to share. Turning off the lights, she took a seat on the floor between Sarah and Elisabeth.

As the movie progressed, the girls took turns yawning, even as they laughed to the point of tears. Kelsi was the only one to actually fall asleep. At some point, Ryan had moved his arm from the top of the couch to drape it over her shoulder. He rubbed her arm soothingly, and she smiled in her sleep. Sharpay noticed the gesture. What she didn't notice was the gentle kiss Ryan placed on her temple, or the sweet words he whispered in her ear.

"Sweet dreams, princess," Ryan whispered.

At the same time, Gabriella shifted in her seat. Troy stepped in, tired of her constant movement.

"Throw your legs up," he ordered. At her confused look, he repeated his instructions. Shrugging, she did as he said. After a few movements, her legs draped over his thighs, and her head rested against his shoulder. Glad for the darkness, she blushed when his hand reached around to the small of her back, steadying her. He instinctively rubbed small circles on her back, sending tingles through her body.

When the movie ended, Sharpay reached behind her and turned the lights back on. The group decided not to wake Kelsi just yet, and Sharpay and Sophia each took a few photos for future use.

To please Gabriella's mom, the girls had set up camp in Gabriella's spacious bedroom, while the boys remained in the basement. Sharpay and Taylor kissed their respective boyfriends goodnight and led the way up the stairs. Ryan offered to carry Kelsi, and Troy helped him shift the petite girl until he was holding her in a bridal position.

Gabriella held back for a moment, wanting to bid Troy goodnight. He had followed her into the hallway. Silently, he pulled her into a bear hug. She smiled and returned the embrace just as tightly. He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head, nuzzling into her curls, before they both pulled away. She started to walk away, and then paused to look back at him.

"Good night," she whispered over her shoulder, turning back to the stairs. He watched her go, speechless.

"Good night, beautiful," he echoed, though he knew she couldn't hear him. At least, so he thought.

Gabriella blushed as she heard his quiet words and continued walking up the stairs. She fell a few steps behind the other girls, who had paused for a moment to help Ryan adjust Kelsi.

"This way," Taylor guided Ryan. When they arrived in Gabriella's room, Ryan tucked Kelsi into her sleeping bag before returning to the boys downstairs.

"Remember-we have to be out of here at 4 tomorrow morning," Gabriella reminded him as he left. Ryan nodded and the girls snuggled into their beds for the night, wondering what the rest of the weekend would bring.

**Next Chapter:** Heading to New York, Troy and Ryan have a plan. In addition, Kelsi shares her story...

**Author's Note:** just so you know, all the songs in this story, whether I mention it or not, are on the "Troy Playlist"


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Warning: this chapter elicits a 'tissue warning', just so you know. Dedicated to my friend's aunt. I don't pretend to be an expert, so I didn't really go into the medical stuff. I know it's sad, but it had to be done...

Thanks to digigirl02, ScRuPuLoUs, Playmaker Kelsi, anothersmallperson, rockyshadow, and krfan for reviewing! Also major thanks to anyone who has this story on favorites or alerts. Please Review! Special note to Playmaker Kelsi: hope this is a little better with the characters!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any aspect of the High School Musical franchise.

Early Saturday morning, Gabriella's shrill alarm clock woke the girls.

"What time is it?" Sharpay groaned.

"3:15," Gabriella replied.

"Why do we have to be up so early?" Taylor complained.

"We have to leave at 4," Kelsi reminded them. The girls slowly woke up and got out of bed, trying not to bang into the furniture as they fumbled for the light switch. They decided to check if the boys were up.

"Good morning boys!" Gabriella, always a morning person, announced. She and the other girls were standing in the doorway of the basement. Kelsi flicked on all the lights, causing the boys to grumble about it being too early.

"Get out of bed or we're leaving you here for the weekend," Taylor added.

"And we'll just skip the surprises we had planned for you," Sharpay teased. The other girls giggled. The boys started to wake up, but they were still very comfortable in their sleeping bags.

"Watch this," Gabriella muttered. "Hey guys-FOOD!" she called. Troy, Chad, and Zeke shot out of bed and ran past the girls, barely noticing they were there. Ryan, however, did not stir so easily. Taylor nudged Kelsi. Kelsi rolled her eyes and motioned to Sharpay, implying that Ryan's sister should do the job. The others disagreed, so she slowly walked over to Ryan, whose sleeping bag rested on the couch. She knelt in front of him.

"Ryan," Kelsi whispered gently. He moaned; she giggled. "You have to get up Ryan." Stricken with sudden courage, she rustled his hair, making him moan again. Finally, he was awake.

"This is why I usually wear hats," he argued, pushing himself up to a sitting position. He glanced at the doorway and Kelsi followed his gaze. The other girls were taking turns poking their heads out, checking on the pair. Kelsi blushed, immediately losing her courage again and sinking back into her shell.

"I'll meet you upstairs," Ryan smiled sadly, mourning their loss of privacy. She nodded, and he couldn't help but notice how cute she looked; her cheeks were tinted a rosy pink-his favorite shade.

Kelsi walked purposefully back to the other girls, willing her breathing to slow to normal rates and her cheeks to return their regular colors. She prayed the other girls would leave the teasing for another time. Gabriella, Taylor, and Sharpay giggled excitedly, but they accepted Kelsi's silent request, saving their comments until later.

The girls walked up to the kitchen, where the boys were standing around the table, very annoyed.

"Where's the food?" Chad complained. Troy looked at Gabriella's face, observing the mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"They tricked us!" he exclaimed, intensely irritated.

"Now that you're up, you can go get ready. We leave in twenty minutes," Gabriella reminded them. They groaned but listened anyway, returning to the basement to pack their suitcases.

"That was mean. Don't think you're getting away with it," Troy threatened, leaning over so he was speaking into Gabriella's ear as he passed. Her breath hitched in her throat. She bit her lip, unable to repress an involuntary shiver as his breath hit her skin.

"Troy, do us all a favor and brush your teeth before we go. You have the worst morning breath," she teased over her shoulder as he walked away. He chuckled. The other girls stared at her. Sharpay was the first to speak up.

"How do you function, let alone _flirt_, at almost 4 in the morning?"

20 minutes later, two black vans pulled into the Montez's driveway. Troy climbed into the first one, followed by Gabriella and Elisabeth. Chad and Taylor took the middle row, and Kelsi sat in the front. Ryan, Sharpay, and Zeke claimed the back row of the second van, with Sarah and Sophia in the middle row.

"Are you sure you'll be alright, Elisabeth?" Ms. Montez checked for what must have been the seventh time that day.

"Don't worry Ms. Montez, we'll take good care of her," Kelsi reassured, yawning.

"Okay," Ms. Montez sighed. "We'll meet you at the airport." Finally, she climbed into the passenger seat of the other van, and they left.

Gabriella was the first to fall asleep, resting her head on Troy's chest. Kelsi soon followed, as did Taylor and Elisabeth. Even Chad drifted into dreamland. Only Troy was still awake, unable to sleep. He couldn't help but notice how peaceful Gabriella looked with her brown curls framing her face, her breaths steady.

In the other van, only Ryan remained awake. As he watched his sister and her boyfriend, asleep in each other's arms, he observed how perfectly they seemed to fit together-like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. He wondered if Kelsi fit into him in the same way.

Ryan wasn't about to deny his feelings for Kelsi. She was cute and smart, an amazing composer, and a great listener. She always knew what to say to help him out, and she cared about other people more than anyone else he knew. Ryan got butterflies when he saw her walk into the room, and his heart raced when she said his name. Everything about her was so special.

Feeling his cell phone vibrate in his pocket, Ryan pulled it out. Opening it, he saw the reason for its incessant buzzing-a new text message had arrived from Troy.

_She fell asleep right on top of me and its driving me insane_ it read. Ryan chuckled quietly, trying not to wake the other passengers.

_Cant sleep either huh_ Ryan typed in response. He waited patiently for the response to come.

_Nope_ the message said _and your girlfriend is asleep just in case you were wondering._

_Shes not my girlfriend_ Ryan defended silently.

_How do you even know who im referring to_ Troy wrote, trapping Ryan.

_The same way u know when people are referring to Gabs_ Ryan countered, finding the loophole (living with someone as manipulative as Sharpay definitely had advantages). It seemed he and Troy had been confiding in each other a lot since the musical. As the two leading males, they were often in rehearsal together. Usually, they had spent their down time working on Troy's dancing, but they also talked a lot. Troy felt like he could tell Ryan things he couldn't tell his other friends. Ryan was just as happy to be friends with a guy that didn't think he was weird for being in the drama club.

The two boys spent the rest of the car ride texting. Mainly, they discussed their plans for the weekend. They had agreed earlier in the week to make their moves at Gabriella's celebration, formulating plans and elaborate schemes and confiding them in each other. Finally, the others started to wake up.

_Commence Operation: New York _Ryan sent. It was the last message before the boys' conversation ceased. They proceeded to clear their inboxes and sent messages, just in case someone went through their phones. Soon enough, the cars pulled up to the airport.

The group piled out of the two vans, yawning. The drivers opened the trunks and unloaded all the suitcases before driving away.

The girls had long since decided that on the trip to New York, they were all going to sit together; they wouldn't associate with the boys at all after they passed the security point. For this reason, Sharpay immediately tore herself away from Zeke, looping her arm through Gabriella's. Taylor reached out to Kelsi and attached them both to Gabriella's other side. The boys followed them, confused as to what was going on.

"The four of us will be using this time for some important discussions. Do not interfere," Taylor informed them, her voice taking on a tone of authority she rarely used among her friends. It was typically reserved for calling order and delegating work at meetings. The boys were shocked. Troy and Ryan exchanged worried glances and decided to fill in the other boys on their plans when they went to the airport's Dunkin Donuts.

"This is going to be a problem," Troy muttered as they stood in line.

"What's wrong?" Zeke asked.

"You know how you guys are always bugging me to ask Gabriella out? Well, I was planning to make my move this weekend. Both of us were, actually," Troy began, motioning for Ryan to take over.

"We had these whole elaborate schemes planned out, and the first stage was set to take place on the plane ride to New York," Ryan elaborated. Troy nodded. "Now that we're not allowed anywhere near the girls, that's going to be a problem."

"That is a problem. What are we going to do?" Zeke agreed, pondering their options.

"Well we start by bringing the girls breakfast," Chad decided. "It can be a peace offering, and maybe they'll soften up and let us sit with them."

"Dude, that was actually a smart idea," Troy joked.

"I have my moments," Chad replied with a cheeky grin. He stepped up to the register and ordered breakfast for himself, then for Taylor and his sister Sarah. Troy was next, ordering Gabriella's and her sister's along with his own. Zeke took care of Sharpay and Ms. Montez's orders, and Ryan picked something out for Kelsi and Elisabeth. The boys carried the food and beverages carefully, praying they wouldn't spill. They finally arrived back at the gate.

Troy, Chad, Zeke, and Ryan distributed breakfast to Ms. Montez and the three younger girls before moving in the direction of their 'significant others.' The younger girls, however, had very specific instructions.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sarah accused.

"We bought breakfast for the girls and we were just going to give it to them," Zeke stepped in.

"We have strict orders not to let you anywhere near them," Sophia responded, shaking her head.

"What about their breakfasts?" Ryan tried.

"We'll take them for you," Elisabeth decided. The boys tried to protest, but they could do nothing.

"There goes that plan," Troy grumbled, slumping dejectedly into a seat.

"Let's see if they'll respond to us at all," Chad suggested. "Troy-try texting Gabriella and see what happens." Considering his only other option was to mope, Troy agreed.

_Its way too early for you to look this cute,_ he texted flirtatiously.

Gabriella felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Pulling it out, she looked at the screen.

"It's a text message from Troy," she announced. Taylor shook her head.

"You're not allowed to read it, remember?" Sharpay reminded her. Gabriella rolled her eyes, but she knew that Sharpay was right. Reluctantly, she turned off her phone and tossed it into her bag, pulling out her iPod in the meantime.

**5:45, Albuquerque**

All 12 of the group members grabbed their carry-on bags and followed the short line. The moment they stepped onto the plane, they felt the cool air rush through them. Gabriella led the way through rows of navy blue seats until they found the ones they had been assigned. She slid into the window seat with Sharpay beside her. Across the aisle, Kelsi and Taylor sat together.

In the next row forward, Ms. Montez and Elisabeth sat across the aisle from Sarah and Sophia. The younger girls were excited for the trip, but they were also very tired. They quickly settled in, buckled up, and adjusted their seats for optimum napping.

Finally, Troy and Zeke took seats opposite Chad and Ryan, two rows in front of the girls. They, too, tried to get comfortable in the seats. They hoped to be able to sleep for most of the two-hour flight, and then fix their plans for the rest.

The chief flight attendant stood in the center aisle at the front of the plane, explaining the safety procedures. Moments later, the plane pulled away from the gate and sped along the runway, lifting into the air with unexpected grace.

"So Kelsi, what's new?" Taylor asked suggestively, nudging the smaller girl.

"How new is 'new'?" Kelsi responded, knowing that Taylor wasn't just making small talk.

"However long you've had a crush on Ryan," Taylor teased.

"That? That's not new. That's actually pretty old," Kelsi informed her. Taylor was shocked.

"How old are we talking?" she wondered. "Like, a few months?"

"Like, a few years," Kelsi admitted, blushing. Taylor's jaw dropped, so Kelsi took the opportune silence to explain her full story, with all its tragedy and inspiration.

"Just before I entered seventh grade, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I was devastated-she was always my biggest supporter. She video-taped every piano recital I was ever in...including the year I forgot which song I was playing from my song book and I ran off the stage to find my teacher." A sudden sad smile escaped with the memory, Kelsi's eyes focused inward on the past. "The first song I ever wrote, I wrote for her. As I started eighth grade, she was admitted to the hospital-permanently. I spent a lot of time with the Evans twins, because my dad was working two jobs to cover the medical expenses. Halfway through the year, my mom passed away." Kelsi's voice trailed off as a single tear crept down her cheek. Taylor pulled the smaller girl into a sideways hug before the story continued.

"Mr. and Mrs. Evans treated me like one of their own, which really helped me as I tried to cope both before and after my mom's death. The thing was, they both worked full time, leaving me alone with the twins more often than not. I was picked up from school with Ryan and Sharpay everyday by their chauffer. The day my mom died, Sharpay had a voice lesson. We dropped her off on the way to the Evans' mansion. Ryan and I were doing our homework in his bedroom when the call came. He was the greatest-I don't know how I would have gotten through it without him. When I broke down in tears, he held onto me. For three weeks, he didn't leave my side. Even at the funeral, he sat behind me at an angle so I could see him out of the corner of my eye.

"After the funeral, the Evans hosted a reception. I was too sad to stay downstairs, so I went upstairs to the room that had become my favorite-the music room. Ryan followed me a few paces behind. I sat at the piano and played a song-the song I had written for my mom... It wasn't until after I finished that I noticed I was crying. Ryan consoled me again... He whispered to me how lucky I had been, and how it was going to be okay in the end. He really took care of me. When I stopped crying, he started to play my mom's favorite song-Little Wonders. She used to sing it to me every night before I went to bed, because I was afraid of the dark and her voice would carry me to sleep. She sang it to me again when I visited her in the hospital for the last time. Ryan knew that singing it made me feel closer to her, and he sang it with me."

Taylor nodded, not knowing what else to do. She finally found her voice.

"That puts everything in perspective," she whispered. "You two have always had an amazing bond-it's no wonder you've fallen for each other. Why haven't you told him how you really feel? It's so obvious he feels the same way."

"I'm scared of losing what we've always had. Ryan's the best friend I've ever known-I'm just not ready to let that go. I'd rather keep things as they are, keep my feelings hidden, than lose him someday for something stupid."

Taylor was finally starting to understand Kelsi-the petite girl, she was discovering, was perhaps the strongest person she had ever met. One thing from the previous day was still bothering her, though-the car ride.

"What about yesterday in the car? Chad said that Ryan looked like he was trying to ease your fears when the song came on," Taylor commented, not knowing that this would launch a second story.

"Ryan was the first person to ever hear me sing. When we were freshmen, he was absent on the day of auditions because he was sick. Sharpay found someone else to sing the duet with for the audition. Ms. Darbus gave him a second chance, scheduling a time for him to audition privately, but Ryan couldn't find anyone in time. He came to me, begging me to sing with him, and how could I refuse? We sang the duet, 'Can You Feel the Love Tonight', and he made it. It became our song."

"Then why were you afraid?"

"I wasn't afraid, really. It just brings back so many memories, and a lot of them are bad. When he found out the good news, Ryan came and told me right away. He led me to the band room and pulled out a book of blank manuscript paper to thank me. I started to play the piece I was working on, and Sharpay heard it. She thought I would take Ryan away from her, so she pulled me to her. After all her family had done for me over the year, there was no way for me to get out of the new partnership. I became Sharpay's sidekick, and no one paid me any attention, except for Ryan."

"I still feel like I'm missing a piece of the story," Taylor commented. Kelsi sighed. She really didn't want to repeat this piece of the story, but it seemed she would have to.

"On my sixteenth birthday, Ryan left a note in my locker. It was an escape plan, to get me away from Sharpay. He was supposed to meet me during free period. I followed the instructions, and I found the things he had set up in the music room, and our song was playing, but he was nowhere in sight. I was so scared that he had changed his mind at the last minute, or that it was some kind of joke, and he wanted nothing to do with me that I ran out of the room crying... Now that I think back on it, Sharpay must have caught Ryan before he could get to the music room, but I was too upset to think of it at the time… The next day, there was a note and a fresh book of manuscript paper on the piano at free period, and at the bottom of the note, he signed it 'together we'll break free'. I used his gift to write the music for Twinkle Towne, but it had almost destroyed our friendship. Before yesterday, I hadn't listened to that song in months because it was so painful."

Taylor sighed. Kelsi's story had been so fragile; she didn't know what to do. She did know, however, that Kelsi and Ryan were destined to be together-and she was going to do something about it.

**Next Chapter:** Gabriella and Sharpay have a heart-to-heart, Kelsi breaks the rules, and Troy gives Gabriella her gift!


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** Now that you've all heard Kelsi's story, it's time for Gabriella's. I feel that I should mention something very important in this chapter. Anyone who read my Avatar: the Last Airbender story "Don't Stop the Music" knows that I'll introduce an idea sometimes that seems trivial and unimportant and then a few chapters later it'll return in full force. This idea applies to both this chapter and the last one. Oh, and this chapter includes a little shout-out to the AtLA fandom...just think "Fortuneteller" when Zeke comes in.

Thanks to digigirl02, krfan, rockyshadow, ScRuPuLoUs, ambinlovewlove, and Clembo29 for reviewing! Please review!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender or the song I used in this chapter or any aspect of the High School Musical franchise.

"So, what's new with you lately?" Sharpay asked Gabriella.

"Not much. Schoolwork, dance classes, voice lessons, avoiding my feelings for Troy, celebrating my birthday, nothing special," Gabriella listed. Sharpay's jaw dropped.

"Could you repeat that last one?" she asked.

"Celebrating my birthday?" Gabriella checked. It was the most obvious piece of information.

"No, before that," Sharpay half-scolded.

"Voice lessons," Gabriella stated. Sharpay just stared at her. Confused, Gabriella replayed the conversation in her head. Her eyes grew wide as she realized that there was one thing she hadn't meant to say. One thing she had been denying for months. One thing she never wanted Sharpay, of all people, to hear. "Avoiding my feelings for Troy," she whispered.

"I thought that's what you said," Sharpay agreed. "Of course, I still don't get why. You like him, he likes you, the two of you flirt constantly, yet you insist that you're 'just friends'. News flash! If you don't make your move, someone else will make it for you."

"After everything that's happened with my father, I'm not sure if it would be the best," Gabriella shrugged.

"Your father?" Sharpay asked. Gabriella nodded. "What does your father have to do with this?"

"My father walked out when I was seven, and Sophia was four. Apparently, he had been cheating on my mom for over a year and he was leaving because the other woman was pregnant with his child. He dropped me off at school in the morning, took Sophia to daycare, and left. He didn't even say anything to my mom, and he was supposed to pick us up at the end of the day. The school called my mom because after an hour, I was still waiting for him.

"He sends money, but he doesn't visit us. My mom won't allow it. He married her-the other woman. I haven't seen him in ten years because my mom doesn't want him to hurt us again. That's the reason my mom always accepted the moving offers-he usually found us, so my mom moved us away. I don't know whether it was a good or bad thing, but it's what got me to Albuquerque, so I can't complain. I'm so scared he'll find us here, and even though my mom promised we wouldn't move again, I'm not sure about that. I could deal with keeping up friendships over long distances, but a relationship? I don't know if I could."

"So you won't even give it a chance?" Sharpay exclaimed quietly. "Gabriella, when you meet someone as great as Troy, you let your heart take over and ignore what your head says. Not all long-distance relationships are doomed for failure. My cousin was in one for a few years, and she ended up marrying the guy."

"I don't know. I mean, I've only known him for a few months," Gabriella argued half-heartedly.

"You've liked him since the moment you sang together," Sharpay accused. The whole gang knew about Troy and Gabriella's initial meeting. Gabriella caved.

"When we sang, he looked me right in the eye. It was the first time I ever sang a duet where the other person sang _to_ me instead of _at_ me. I could get lost in his perfect blue eyes for hours. He's strong, and cute, and smart when he wants to be," Gabriella rambled softly. She was so focused on her conversation with Sharpay that she didn't notice when a certain blue-eyed boy walked down the aisle of the plane towards the bathroom in the back, pausing right in front of her.

"Smart when he wants to be? You aren't talking about me, are you?" Troy teased. Gabriella stared at him for a moment, worried, before Sharpay stepped in.

"Go away, Troy," she demanded. "You know the rules." Troy chuckled and walked away.

"That was close," Sharpay muttered. Gabriella nodded.

"Now that he's gone, I think you were mid-ramble..." Sharpay encouraged. Gabriella sighed and chuckled slightly at Sharpay's persistence.

"He takes my breath away-I just look at him and I can't help but notice how incredible he is. He always knows what to say when I'm upset, and I feel like I've known him my whole life. I can tell him anything, no matter how serious. I've never felt so strongly about anyone before in my life. It's like my first crush all over again, except this time I understand why I blush and get butterflies and feel sparks at his touch, you know?" Gabriella sighed. "With Troy, I finally feel like things are going right."

Once again, Troy approached the girls unnoticed. This time, he kept his mouth shut. Listening to her say that felt like his dream had come true. He took his seat beside Zeke with a huge grin on his face.

"Someone had a good bathroom break..." Zeke joked.

"I actually-"

"I don't want to know," Zeke interrupted.

"I overheard the girls talking dude, geez. What did you think I was gonna say?"

**8:51, Houston **

The plane landed and the group grabbed their carryon luggage. As they walked off the plane, Gabriella's mom took the lead, guiding them to their next flight. They had a short layover, so the girls found a quiet corner and once again blocked the boys from communication.

"Dude, they're really serious about this," Troy said, slightly shocked. The other boys looked at him oddly for a moment, attempting to determine what had spurred this spark of conversation. "Gabi hasn't texted me back. It's been over two hours, and she hasn't texted me back!"

It was true. Abiding by the rules she had assisted in setting, Gabriella did not reply to Troy's initial text message, or the five that followed.

**10:00, Houston**

Once again, the gang found themselves on a line to board their plane. This time, Troy was standing directly behind Gabriella. He gently reached out a hand and placed it on her waist, trying not to scare her. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to find the will to fight off the electric embrace and failing miserably. She bit her lip.

"You know the rules," she muttered, secretly hoping Sharpay wouldn't catch them.

"Just read your texts," he mumbled. Then to her dismay, as quickly as it had been there, his hand was gone. They were ignoring each other again.

Once on the plane, the girls switched their seating arrangement; Kelsi took Sharpay's place beside Gabriella. Luckily, Kelsi allowed her to check her text messages before the plane lifted off. In fact, she nearly insisted. Kelsi knew how important text messaging was for the pair-she had often caught Gabriella checking her phone at rehearsals, and even once or twice in class. These text messages, unbeknownst to the girls, were the revised start of a very important plan.

**10:10, Houston**

The plane lifted off the ground, with all its passengers securely fastened in their seats. Sharpay reached across the center aisle, offering Kelsi and Gabriella chewing gum, which they readily accepted. Popping the gum in their mouths, Gabriella and Kelsi launched into a secret analysis of Troy's six text messages.

_Our song is playing on my iPod_, which Gabriella had received last (coming in around 9:45 Houston time) was inarguably the cutest.

"You're so lucky!" Kelsi gushed. "He texted you just to let you know he's thinking about you." Gabriella blushed. "He loves you and you know it. And you love him, too."

"Are we really going to get into this again?" Gabriella checked.

"Are you really going to keep denying it?" Kelsi shot back quickly. The small girl was feisty and loyal; the others had been shocked when they had first learned. Gabriella chuckled, still a little off guard.

"Who said I was denying anything?" Kelsi's jaw dropped. Their conversation during the layover had focused on Kelsi and Gabriella's pasts before turning to a discussion of Sharpay and Taylor's relationships. They hadn't actually gotten into Gabriella's crush on Troy or Kelsi's feelings for Ryan.

"You mean...are you saying...oh my gosh," Kelsi stuttered. Gabriella blushed.

"What I mean is that I have a crush on Troy." Kelsi nearly squealed from the excitement. At the same moment, across the aisle, Taylor tried to repress a squeal of her own.

"Gabi! When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me!" she whispered excitedly, leaning across the aisle.

"When did what happen?" Gabriella asked, genuinely confused.

"I told her," Sharpay stepped in. Gabriella nodded, understanding the conversation at last.

"Don't worry Tay, I just found out too," Kelsi added.

"This happened on the first flight," Gabriella said, taking over.

"You developed a crush on him this morning?" Taylor asked, befuddled. Gabriella shook her head.

"I developed a crush on him at the ski lodge. I just avoided and denied it until this morning." Taylor leaned back into her own seat as Ryan walked past. His hand brushed Kelsi's shoulder, turning their conversation.

Before Sharpay or Gabriella could ask questions, Kelsi rushed into the answers.

"Yes, I have a crush on Ryan. No, I don't intend to do anything about it. I'm a romantic and plus, I don't have a problem with our current relationship," she stated. Her tone indicated that every word was true.

"Are you sure?" Sharpay checked, not fully believing her. Kelsi nodded.

The girls sat silently for a few minutes until Ryan's return changed Kelsi's opinion slightly.

"Fine," she muttered as his hand brushed her shoulder for a second time. "Maybe I'm not okay with our current relationship."

**2:55, New York**

By the time the plane touched down at La Guardia airport, the girls had discussed anything and everything they could think of. As soon as they stepped off the plane, the boys ran to the girls.

"We're going to talk to you, and don't try to stop us," Troy announced with a smirk, wrapping his arm around Gabriella's shoulders. She bit her lip and blushed. Chad grabbed Taylor's hand and Zeke snaked his arms around Sharpay's waist. The girls wriggled out of the various embraces to hold a brief conference.

"I say we go for it," Kelsi whispered.

"I think we should punish Troy for breaking the rules," Sharpay argued.

"He had to suffer just over four hours of being alone with the guys on an airplane-he's been punished enough," Taylor countered. They all turned to Gabriella, who was ignoring their conversation with a dreamy look on her face.

"Fine," Sharpay conceded. They all paired off and followed Gabriella's mom to the baggage claim area. Retrieving his bag by leaning over her shoulder, Troy whispered in Gabriella's ear.

"I haven't forgotten about this morning-you're not off the hook yet."

The group piled out of the two taxi vans, just as they had earlier that morning. They waltzed through the revolving door and took the elevator up to the lobby to check in.

"Wow," Sophia gasped, staring at the gorgeous chandelier in the center of the room. Ms. Montez stood at the check-in counter, retrieving their room keys. She returned, holding three small envelopes in her hand, and led them to the elevator.

"We won't all fit in one," Taylor pointed out.

"I'll take a second one with you three," Ms. Montez assured, motioning to the three younger girls. "We'll meet you on the eleventh floor." Once there, the teenagers stepped out of the elevator. Ms. Montez and the younger girls followed a moment later.

Ms. Montez distributed the room keys, giving one envelope to Gabriella for the girls and one to Troy for the boys. She indicated her own room number in case they ever needed her, and then let them find their rooms. The two rooms, they discovered, were side by side-the girls were on the left and the boys were on the right. Gabriella handed a key to Taylor, who opened the door with ease. Ryan had taken possession of the other key to the boys' room and was letting them in at the same time. Before she could go into the room, Troy grabbed Gabriella around the waist.

"Meet me out here in 20 minutes," he ordered, speaking in a low whisper that only she could hear. She nodded silently, and he released her. She dragged her suitcase into the hotel room, avoiding the glances of the other girls.

"I have twenty minutes before I have to meet Troy in the hallway," she said, finally breaking the silence. The other girls squealed.

"That is so cute!" Taylor exclaimed. Suddenly, they heard someone knocking on the door. Gabriella, who was closest, looked through the peephole. She giggled.

"Your boyfriends," she explained over her shoulder before opening the door. Sure enough, there stood Chad, Ryan, and Zeke. Kelsi chose to ignore the title, swearing she would address the comment later.

"What happened?" they asked, out of breath and looking ready to fight. The girls giggled.

"Just some girl stuff," Sharpay shrugged. The boys glared at them and stalked away. After shutting the door, the girls collapsed into fits of giggles. A few moments later, they composed themselves enough to dive into a discussion of why Troy wanted to see Gabriella...alone.

"The gift," Kelsi finally realized. Sharpay, Taylor, and Gabriella looked at her. She had been silent throughout the conversation. "Troy said that he had your gift, but he didn't want to give it to you yet, didn't he?" Gabriella nodded.

"Yeah. He said he wanted to give it to me when we had some time alone," Gabriella filled in.

"Ooooh," Sharpay and Taylor teased, dragging out the sound. Gabriella rolled her eyes at their antics.

"I think it's sweet," Kelsi commented, pulling her dressy outfits out of her suitcase and hanging them in the closet. Gabriella followed her lead, with Sharpay and Taylor close behind. Gabriella tried to go back to her suitcase to unpack a few more things, but Sharpay refused to allow that.

"We now only have 15 minutes until you need to meet Troy, and you still look like you just stepped off the plane," she stated, pushing Gabriella until the slightly smaller girl was perched on the edge of one of the beds. Sharpay and Taylor immediately started redoing Gabriella's hair and applying a light coat of make up. Kelsi snuck over to Gabriella's small carry-on and pulled out her iPod. She plugged the small device into the iHome on the night table between the two beds and played the Troy playlist. "I'm Only Me When I'm With You," by Taylor Swift, began to play in the small hotel room; the girls sang along.

Finally, Gabriella was ready to go, with 2 minutes to spare. After waiting, with the minutes passing agonizingly slowly (Sharpay insisted that being early would be very bad), she finally stepped out of the room. She flicked the latch, making sure that the door wouldn't shut, before turning out of the small enclosure and stepping into the main hall. Troy, she discovered, was waiting for her. He was leaning against the wall that stood between the two rooms.

"Hey," she greeted softly.

"Hey," he replied, pushing off the wall until he was standing upright. He had one hand hidden behind his back, and as he pulled it out, he revealed exactly what Kelsi had predicted.

"Happy Birthday, Gabi," he whispered, handing her a long, thin box in sparkling red paper. She took the gift and opened it slowly. Neither said a word as she pulled the top off the box, revealing a necklace.

"Troy," she gasped. "It's beautiful." The necklace was simple-a thin silver chain with a rhinestone-encrusted G clef. Troy bit back a cheesy comment as she pulled him into a hug. "Thank you."

"Anytime," he murmured, releasing her. "You should probably go back in before the girls send out a search party." Gabriella nodded. Suddenly feeling bold, she leaned up and kissed his cheek. When she pulled away, she blushed furiously. It was all Troy could do not to grab her and kiss her with everything he had, but he had spent too much time formulating his plan for that to happen. Silently, he watched her push the door open and shut it behind her. He, too, returned to his room, where the other boys were waiting anxiously.

"Phase one is complete."

**Author's Note:** Please review...reviews make for a happy author! Big thanks to all the friends who were on this trip and even bigger thanks to Stef, my beta!

**Next Chapter:** a frightening trip to the theater


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** This chapter was really fun to write. I actually found dresses that the girls would wear, but then my computer deleted the links. A lot of this actually happened on our trip, including a scene very similar to the one with Troy, Gabriella, Sarah and Sophia. Let's just say our chaperone was a bit…overprotective. I'm putting a slight "T" rating on this chapter, mostly because it's Avenue Q. You've been warned. Also, major thanks go to Stef (my betareader) and all my friends who were on the trip: this wouldn't be happening without any of them. Special thanks to Erika, who lets me rant as I try to work out the logistics of scenes I'm writing.

Thanks to ScRuPuLoUs, digigirl02, erfan18, rockyshadow, and fallinrain for reviewing! Please review-I'm giving out free e-cookies this chapter!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Avenue Q, John's Pizzeria (yes it's real), the song I used in this chapter, or any aspect of the High School Musical franchise.

The girls were lounging on the two beds, just relaxing and listening to music until it was time to leave for the show. They took turns going into the bathroom, changing out of their comfortable clothing and into their dressier outfits.

Taylor changed first, putting on her new black knee-length skirt and red tube top. When she came out, she pulled out red ballet flats and a simple gold charm bracelet, adding gold dangling earrings and a personalized gold necklace.

Sharpay had chosen pink (as usual) but with less sparkle than she usually wore. A light pink belt, the only sparkly aspect of the knee-length halter design, accented the darker magenta material. A silver headband swept her graceful blond waves away from her face. She set out her strappy silver heels as she clasped her silver locket, with earrings and a bracelet to match.

Kelsi's first dress was dark green with thick straps. The gold chain she wore around her neck, gently suspending her mother's ring, emphasized its v-neck perfectly. She added three gold bangles to her right wrist and slipped in her emerald studs, laying her black flats beside the other pairs of shoes. To top off her outfit, she pulled out a dark green beret.

Gabriella went with a printed tube top dress. Originally, she hadn't planned to wear jewelry; the bright colors of the floral design stood out in themselves. However, Sharpay had other ideas.

"You have to wear the necklace he got you," she insisted.

"If you don't wear it, he'll think you don't like it," Taylor agreed. Gabriella pulled the necklace out of the box and clasped it around her neck.

"Happy?" she asked sarcastically, pulling her white shoes (the ones with a small, thick heel) out of her suitcase with a smile. Honestly, she was overjoyed by his gift, and didn't need an excuse to wear it.

"Ecstatic," Kelsi joked, grinning.

A few minutes later, the phone in their room rang. Gabriella paused David Archuleta's "Crush," picked up the phone and started speaking to her mom. After a short conversation, she hung up.

"Mom says we have to meet at the elevator in five minutes," she relayed. The other girls nodded and they all slipped into their shoes.

"Ready to blow the boys' minds?" Sharpay asked. They giggled and nodded. They grabbed their purses, checking that they had both room keys, before opening the door. They passed the boys' room silently just before the boys emerged.

The four teenage girls arrived at the elevator, where they found Ms. Montez, Sophia, Sarah, and Elisabeth. Before they even greeted Gabriella's mom, they pulled Sarah into their group, shielding her from view. When they released her, her hair was completely redone.

"I should have known you girls would do that," Ms. Montez chuckled. They made a few minor changes to Elisabeth and Sophia's hairstyles before the boys arrived.

When the boys finally walked down the hall, they were pushing Ryan out in front. The girls, in return, maneuvered themselves so Kelsi was closest to him. Sophia discreetly pulled out the digital camera, snapping silent photographs as Ryan walked to Kelsi.

"You look beautiful," he whispered, afraid to raise his voice any higher. He took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles, causing her to blush furiously.

None of the boys wore ties or sports jackets. Ryan wore khaki pants and a dark green polo the same shade as Kelsi's dress, making them look as though they had planned to match. On his head was a newsboy cap of the same shade. Taylor and Gabriella immediately looked at Sharpay, knowing that had to be her doing. She grinned knowingly and sauntered over to Zeke, wearing black pants and a white collared shirt. Troy, sporting a light blue polo and black dress pants, and Chad, modeling navy blue slacks and an off-white shirt, soon joined Gabriella and Taylor.

Sophia continued to photograph the group without their notice. She mainly focused on her sister and Troy (who was very happy for some reason she couldn't ascertain), but she knew that something was going on with Ryan and Kelsi as well. While her mother had gone down the hall to check on the others, she had explained her work to Sarah and Elisabeth. Both girls were more than happy to help, pointing out opportune Kodak moments.

As they walked through the lobby and out the front door, Ms. Montez caught the eye of a local limousine driver. He offered her a preposition, which she readily accepted.

"Alright kids, get in," she instructed calmly. Their jaws dropped. In front of them was a long black limousine. The tidily dressed driver was standing by the back door, holding it open graciously.

Chad and Taylor climbed in first, followed by Sharpay and Zeke; the four of them shared the seat furthest from the door, riding backward. Ryan and Kelsi went next, their seat facing 90 degrees away from the others. Troy, Gabriella, Sarah, Sophia, and Elisabeth slid into the back, taking the seat facing the direction in which they rode. Due to the limited space, the younger girls pushed Gabriella onto Troy's lap.

Of course, no one complained about that.

Ms. Montez, riding in the front of the limousine, directed their driver to the restaurant, though 'restaurant' may not have been the best term for it. They pulled up to John's Pizzeria, much to everyone's surprise. Only Gabriella, Sophia, Zeke, and the Evans twins understood.

"A pizza place before a Broadway show?" Chad questioned.

Sharpay gasped. "This is the most famous pizzeria in New York," she insisted angrily. Chad leaned away from her, fearing her terrible wrath.

"Sharpay," Zeke soothed, rubbing her back, producing a calming effect. "Not everyone knows every detail about your favorite city." She took a few deep breaths as they piled out of the spacious vehicle. Ms. Montez led the group down a slight ramp and into the restaurant.

"12," she said to the host. After a moment, he led them into the main part of the restaurant. The un-expecting teens stared at the mosaic ceiling.

"Dude, this is the fanciest pizza place ever," Chad realized with his eyes wide. Taylor took his hand.

"Only you, Chad," she teased, kissing his cheek as they sat down. Their seating arrangement was almost identical to what it had been at the buffet. However, this time, Ms. Montez's younger daughter and niece flanked her. Sarah, on Sophia's other side, sat there strategically, to communicate with Sharpay. Kelsi and Elisabeth had struck up a friendship of sorts after discovering that they had identical tastes in music, so Kelsi naturally gravitated to the younger girl's side. Ryan, on Kelsi's other side, was also highly involved in the conversation, especially as it turned away from classical piano and towards Broadway musicals they adored.

Beside Sharpay was Zeke, watching the chefs create masterpieces effortlessly. He could detect, from the flurry of movement, which employees actually knew what they were doing. Some seemed to be following orders, constantly checking around them, while others cooked as though it was second nature. Occasionally, he added a thought to Troy and Chad's conversation as they discussed sports, of course. Between them, Gabriella and Taylor tried to coordinate what everyone (at least, all the older teenagers) wanted. The waiter walked to their table and took down the orders from the scholastic decathlon stars. Aside from Ms. Montez, who had given the orders of the younger girls along with her own, none of the other guests noticed.

Chad's shock was most evident when the plates arrived, though almost everyone was surprised. It didn't take them long to figure out who was responsible. The order was flawless, meaning it had to be the work of Gabriella and Taylor. They were the only ones organized enough to make sure Sharpay's order was perfect (except maybe Zeke).

Over the course of the meal, Sharpay sat huddled with Sarah, hunched over the digital camera in her lap. The photo reel started with pictures long before Troy's arrival on Friday. Sharpay soaked in all the evidence she saw, trying to figure out how she would tell Taylor.

Surprisingly, no one stained their fancy clothing with pizza sauce or anything else. The older girls all rose together, taking a trip to the bathroom to fix their makeup.

"Dude, why do you look like you just got laid?" Chad blurted out, facing Troy. Without bothering to take a moment and analyze Chad's statement, he gave a simple answer.

"She's wearing the necklace," he stated, elated.

"So what does that mean for your plan?" Zeke checked.

"It means everything is going to be on schedule," Ryan confirmed.

"I'm ready for when we get back to the hotel," Troy nodded, still wearing his goofy grin. They went over all the details until the girls returned, looking refreshed. The boys stood; ready to embrace their best/girlfriends. Before Sharpay could reach Zeke, however, Sophia dragged her to the side, filling her in. Sharpay made her way over to Taylor, pulling her away from Chad (which wasn't easy).

"Sophia says that the boys have a plan," she explained. Taylor listened intently as Sharpay laid it out.

"I knew there was a reason I liked that girl," Taylor joked. "It's about time we were all on the same page." The girls went back to their respective boyfriends. They all started walking back to the entrance and noticed the long line.

"I guess we beat the rush," Ryan realized as they walked around the corner. Ms. Montez was in the front as they crossed the street. They continued walking until they reached the theater, joining the line that had already begun to form.

Ten minutes later, one of the ushers led them to their seats. The theater was relatively small, with only an orchestra level of seats. Due to the size of their group, they had been split into two rows. In the first row sat Sophia, Sarah, Elisabeth, and Ms. Montez (in that order). Ryan, Kelsi, Gabriella, Troy, Zeke, Sharpay, Taylor and Chad (in that order) sat in the row behind them. Just by chance, Gabriella was sitting directly behind her sister.

The house lights came down, and the show began.

Avenue Q was not a normal show, by any means. Firstly, most of its main characters were puppets. It was like a grown-up version of Sesame Street, filled with everyday problems and extremely funny scenes and songs. The group's favorite songs, they decided, were 'If You Were Gay' and 'Everyone's a Little Bit Racist'.

A few scenes were a bit more mature than Ms. Montez had originally assumed. Most notable was the 'puppetsex' in the first act. As the scene got underway, Ms. Montez leaned over to block Elisabeth's eyes with her Playbill. Troy nudged Gabriella and they leaned forward, covering the eyes of Sarah and Sophia respectively. The younger girls swatted their hands down.

"They're just puppets, what's the big deal?" Sophia whispered pointedly to her older sister. Admitting she was right, Gabriella moved her hands so Sophia could see, but it still looked like her vision was blocked.

"For mom's sake," Gabriella explained. Sophia nodded as Troy shifted his hands over Sarah's eyes.

The song ended, and the two teens sat back in their seats. When Gabriella asked why Troy had been so forceful, his reply was simple.

"She's Chad's little sister, and I'm sure he doesn't want her to see that." Gabriella giggled. "I don't even think _he_ should see that," he added, thinking back to the comment at the restaurant. "He doesn't need any more inappropriate ideas."

At intermission, the teenagers headed into the lower lobby, standing on the line to buy souvenirs. In the end, Gabriella, Taylor, Sharpay and Kelsi all purchased matching T-shirts. Ryan picked up a copy of the soundtrack, while the other boys bought snacks for them all.

Struck with a sudden, subtle inspiration as she watched her brother pay for his purchase, Sharpay started humming the tune of 'There's a Fine, Fine Line' under her breath. Kelsi, the only one close enough to hear her, looked at her strangely, as though wondering why she would choose that song in particular.

"There's a fine, fine line between a lover and a friend," Sharpay sang softly. Kelsi blushed slightly and looked away. "And pretty soon, Ryan, Troy, and Gabriella will all be crossing that line," she predicted. Kelsi was surprised, but Sharpay didn't pause. "Will you?" Without waiting for an answer, Sharpay grabbed Zeke's hand and led him back up the stairs.

When the eight teenagers returned to Gabriella's mom, she was standing in shock. Sophia was hiding behind Sarah, and Elisabeth was running to meet them. She ran straight to her favorite older cousin.

"What's wrong?" Gabriella asked. Elisabeth was clearly scared, and it was starting to worry her. Elisabeth took a deep breath and looked into Gabriella's eyes.

"It's your dad," she revealed. "He's here."

Gabriella was shocked. Troy immediately wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her to his side. On her other side, Taylor rubbed her back consolingly. Gabriella smiled, thankful that she had such supportive friends.

"What does Ms. Montez want us to do?" Kelsi asked, her voice shaking. Elisabeth shrugged.

"She didn't say. He just turned to her and revealed himself. Apparently, his wife is with him, too." At that moment, the lights dimmed, indicating that it was time for them to retake their seats. They filed in.

"Don't worry about it. Just enjoy the show," Troy reassured. His arm was still around her shoulders. She nodded mutely. Sophia turned around, and Gabriella gave her a weak smile before the house lights came down.

When the second act finally began, Kelsi was jittery. She had trouble focusing on the story as Sharpay's words repeatedly ran through her head. Gabriella noticed and, glad for the distraction, leaned over to check if Kelsi was okay.

"I'm fine," Kelsi nodded, not entirely convinced. She let the thoughts trickle to the back of her mind as she watched the show progress. As the actors took their final bows to the sound of a standing ovation, they gave due credit to the orchestra.

"Someday, that'll be for you," Ryan whispered in her ear as the conductor took a bow. "The audience will applaud your incredible music, and the actors will do it more justice than any of us ever could. Because that's what you deserve." She blushed. He grinned and led their group out of the theater as the house lights came back up. A few of them got lost in the crowd, but at the entrance, they were all reunited. Chad and Zeke were on the lookout for Gabriella's father, but he was nowhere in sight.

Their limousine pulled up once the crowd that had been the audience cleared. They took the same seats as they had earlier, and the driver brought them back to the hotel. He promised Ms. Montez that he would give them a proper tour as soon as they wanted.

As their friends went into the two hotel rooms, Troy held Gabriella back. She obliged without complaint. The air between them shifted comfortably as Troy leaned in, kissing the corner of her mouth. He pulled away; leaving her dazzled, he returned to his room. Gabriella leaned against the wall, trying to steady herself. She pulled her phone out of her purse and typed a message to Troy.

_What was that?_ A few moments later, as she opened the door to her room, he sent his response.

_Payback_

**Next Chapter:** The next day, they prepare for a very special leg of the trip, and they speak to someone Gabriella and Sophia knew once before...


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** This chapter took me some time to get through, especially Ryan's part at the beginning. I'm still not completely satisfied with the way it came out, but here you go! To everyone loved Ryan's speech in the last chapter, I hope you like this one as much!

Thanks to krfan, italianvballgirl, ScRuPuLoUs, fallinrain, digigirl02, and rockyshadow for reviewing!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any aspect of the High School Musical franchise.

Sunday morning, the girls slept in longer than they had originally expected. Of course, that probably had to do with the fact that they had been up for almost three hours going over Troy and Gabriella's two-minute 'event of the night'. Following that discussion had been speculation over what the boys were planning (Sharpay and Taylor didn't let on that they knew a few things, and even they didn't know the full plans) and a lengthy discussion of why Gabriella's father was there at that particular time. When they woke up, they not only had numerous questions, but empty stomachs. The best thing, perhaps, about being in the room right next to the boys, was that they had someone looking out for them. Taylor sent a text message to Chad. Not two minutes later, someone was knocking on the door.

"Room service," Zeke called. Kelsi opened the door and Zeke held out four small deli bags, each labeled with a name. He nodded curtly at the girls' thanks, threw a wink in his girlfriend's direction, and went back to his room. Kelsi hopped back onto the bed, tossing each bag to its respective owner.

"Ah, breakfast in bed," Gabriella sighed, opening the bag. Each girl pulled a note out of her bag. They looked at each other, not sure how to react. Taylor and Sharpay's notes were written on the Waldorf stationary. Kelsi's was on manuscript paper and Gabriella's came on stiff tea-bag-stained stationary. They silently agreed to read them all aloud right away.

"Good morning gorgeous. I know how much you love these. I think this breakfast is perfectly you-it's cute, and sweet, and you're always left wanting more-just like I am with you." Taylor read. She pulled a French Cruller (her favorite doughnut) out of her bag as the other girls cooed. Her boyfriend may have been a basketball player, but he was very sweet.

"Good morning sweetie, I know that you love my bakery skills, so I'm sorry to say that I bought this. However, I promise to make it up to you by cooking for you the next time I see you (after this trip, of course). This breakfast may be even more incredible than you...wait a minute, that's not possible," Sharpay read. "Is that not the cutest thing!" she squealed, pulling out a strawberry Danish. "Omigosh I love these!"

"Good morning beautiful. Stop blushing," Gabriella began. The other girls giggled. Troy knew her too well. "You're beautiful, and I'm going to make sure you don't forget that all day. Just thought I'd let you know that, beautiful. I'll see you in a little bit, but in the meantime, enjoy this cinnamon roll that's not quite as beautiful as you." She pulled out her favorite breakfast, trying desperately to ignore her friends' excited giggles. Once they all calmed down, Kelsi read Ryan's note.

"Lovely morning isn't it? I've been sitting here, trying to find the perfect way to do this. Because you're perfect. Then I came up with this, and everything...fit. You'll understand soon enough. First, let me talk to you about the pastry that's in your bag. It's a croissant, and in so many ways, it's you. It's simple, and soft. It's part of our past together, and at the same time, you know that it's part of our future," she paused, reading the next line.

"Kelsi, we all read ours, you have to read yours, too," Sharpay demanded, dying to know what her twin brother had written.

"That's something you mean to me. You have been a huge part of my past, and I know that you will always be there in my future. Whenever you need me, I'll be around," she finished quietly, a tear in her eye. Gabriella noticed immediately.

"Kelsi," she whispered. "What's wrong?" Kelsi shook her head.

"Nothing," she sniffed. She took a deep breath. "That's what he said once about my mom. Right after she died, he reminded me that she was a huge part of my life, and she would always be there when I needed her."

It was comforting, after all those years, for Kelsi to talk about her mother. The pain of her death had numbed over the years, and she was left with all the wonderful memories she could have ever asked for.

As the girls got ready for the day, they listened to Kelsi tell animated stories, focusing almost as much on Ryan as on her mother.

Each girl had the opportunity to shower before they all dressed for the fancy lunch. Sharpay wore dark pink, of course. The second dress she had featured a V-neckline and cut off just past halfway down her thigh. She added a silver personalized necklace among a few other pieces of jewelry, and she was good to go. Almost.

"Have you guys seen my shoes?" she cried, tearing through her suitcase. Kelsi rolled her eyes, undisturbed by the fact that Sharpay had completely interrupted her story. On second thought, she was grateful-the girls didn't know about her first kiss, and they didn't really need to.

"Try under the bed," Gabriella suggested.

Gabriella had chosen a red knee-length dress that flared out as it reached her waist. It had spaghetti straps and was very simple. Only a thin line of frill accented the bottom and top of the dress. She took off the necklace from Troy in favor of the slightly longer gold necklace she had brought with her. It was a heart-shaped locket, with pictures of her and Sophia inside.

"It's the last gift my father gave me before he left," she explained when they asked why the pictures were so old. "I couldn't bear to part with it."

Taylor nodded and pulled out her sleeveless color block dress. The design was mainly black, featuring a band of light purple on the top. It also had thick shoulder straps. Taylor had been clever enough to bring along jewelry that matched both of her outfits, though she did have to pull out a different pair of shoes-this time choosing black open-toed dressy sandals.

Kelsi slipped into her pleated navy blue dress, feeling less self-conscious than when they had purchased it. She added the silver necklace from her mother's childhood and a silver link bracelet. Out of her suitcase, she grabbed her silver Mary Jane-styled flats.

Ms. Montez knocked on the door.

"Girls? Are you up?" she called, trying not to wake any of their sleeping neighbors. Gabriella took a quick look around, making sure everyone knew she was about to open the door. She looked through the peephole.

"It's just my mom," she assured the others before pulling the door open. "Hey mom," she greeted cheerfully.

"Did you girls let the boys know you woke up? They insisted on bringing you breakfast themselves, even though I offered to do it," Ms. Montez spoke quickly.

"Don't worry Mom, they already delivered it," Gabriella assured. Ms. Montez nodded, smiling knowingly. She had a general idea of what the boys were trying to do.

"I'm glad to hear it. I just wanted to let you know that we're meeting at the elevator in half an hour-will you ladies be ready by then?" Gabriella nodded at her mother's instructions. They all bid Ms. Montez goodbye and Gabriella shut the door.

Sharpay dragged Kelsi to the bed and forced her to sit down. Taylor jumped up on the bed behind Kelsi, and Gabriella watched from the side.

"Hey Gabs, can you grab my make-up kit from the bathroom?" Sharpay requested. Gabriella nodded and retrieved the over-stuffed bag.

"No!" Kelsi exclaimed, trying to stand up. "There is no way I'm wearing make-up."

"Not your choice," Sharpay stated, making her sit again. Taylor started working with Kelsi's curls while Sharpay dabbed on a light shade of make-up.

"Wow," Gabriella sighed as they finished minutes later. Sharpay grinned.

"Your turn," she ordered. Gabriella grimaced, and she and Kelsi switched places.

Five minutes before they were supposed to meet at the elevators, the girls heard a knock on the door. Sharpay answered it and was surprised to see Sarah standing there, four papers in her hand.

"I can't talk," Sarah apologized, handing her the notes. "The only thing I can tell you is not to read these aloud," she instructed. Without another word, she walked away.

"That was weird," Sharpay commented, handing out the papers. They followed the instructions they had received, each girl reading her message silently.

Packing the notes into their suitcases, the girls left their room. They walked to the elevator, last to arrive. Sharpay and Taylor went to their respective boyfriends to thank them properly for the gifts, leaving Gabriella and Kelsi with their respective crushes.

Once again, Kelsi and Ryan were a matching set; his dark blue tie was the same silky shade as her gown, as was his fedora. The boys had all heeded the advice of Gabriella, wearing ties and sports jackets. All four boys wore black sports jackets with their black dress pants and white dress shirts. The only differences among them were their ties, and they all matched their dates perfectly. Zeke's was pink (because Sharpay had demanded it), Chad's was black, and Troy's was Gabriella's favorite color-red.

"You look beautiful," Troy whispered, stepping closer to Gabriella. She blushed.

"Thank you," she whispered back, not wanting to break the delicate moment between them. A few steps away, Ryan faced Kelsi, speechless. Noticing this, Ms. Montez ushered the other couples and the younger girls into the first elevator. She gave them explicit instructions to wait in the lobby before the door closed.

"Kelsi," Ryan finally breathed as the others left. "You look amazing." She blushed and lowered her head. Ryan lifted her chin with two fingers and looked into her eyes. "There's nothing to be ashamed of-you look absolutely incredible."

"Thank you, and thank you for the notes," she added as an afterthought.

"Anything for you," Ryan grinned.

"Those notes were...wow," Gabriella sighed.

"I'll have to pass that onto Ryan-he's the one who came up with the idea. I just wrote yours," Troy smiled.

"Wait-does that mean you and Ryan are plotting together or something?" she asked tentatively as the second elevator opened. Troy nodded, grabbing her hand and leading her into the empty elevator.

Gabriella turned around when they got in, facing Kelsi. Ryan led her in the same way. Ms. Montez followed the couples, pressing the Lobby button the four teenagers had forgotten.

"They're planning something," Gabriella whispered to Kelsi suspiciously.

"Are you going to argue with it?" Kelsi asked. Gabriella shook her head.

"Just thought I'd let you know," she shrugged as the doors opened. There stood their friends, waiting, just as they had promised. Before they even stepped out of the elevator, Sophia shot a few pictures of the couples holding hands. Taylor and Sharpay looked like they were going to burst, but Kelsi silently shook her head.

"Sorry to burst your bubbles, ladies, but nothing's going to happen until sometime during the cruise," Chad released. Zeke, hearing this, promptly smacked Chad on the back of the head.

"You idiot," Zeke whisper-yelled. Sharpay and Taylor were very confused. Without providing them an explanation, he stalked away.

"Do me a favor?" he asked Sophia. The boys had informed the three younger girls of the plans earlier that morning so the girls could lend a hand for a few parts.

"What do you need?" she asked.

"Tell Troy and Ryan that we have a security breach courtesy of the bushy-haired idiot," he fumed. Sophia giggled before she nodded, waltzing to Troy. Gabriella and Kelsi had broken away from the boys for a moment to fix Elisabeth and Sarah's hairdos, giving Sophia the perfect opportunity. She passed on the message before Taylor pulled her away, insisting on fixing her bangs while they walked outside.

They piled into a pair of taxi vans, in the same two groups as the previous day. As they rode, they struck up various small conversations. The taxis pulled into the parking lot at pier 62. One by one, they got out.

"Hey Gabi?" Taylor asked cautiously, looking around. Gabriella turned her attention to her best friend. "Where, exactly, are we eating lunch?" Gabriella grinned. She had kept it a secret for weeks.

"You didn't tell them?" Ms. Montez exclaimed.

"No, Mami. I wanted it to be a surprise," Gabriella explained, leading them to the ship. They all looked at the large cruise ship in front of them, eyes wide. They were standing on line, getting ready to board.

"We're surprised," Sharpay confirmed.

"It's a lunch cruise," Ms. Montez chuckled. "They take you around the harbor." She pulled the tickets out of her purse, while Sophia pulled out her camera. A woman in front of them agreed to photograph the group. She took three shots before handing the camera back to Sophia.

The line moved forward and moments later, they stood before two tables, each large enough for six people. Troy and Ryan looked at each other and nodded, indicating the start of the next stage of both their plans. Chad and Zeke caught the signal and carried out their parts perfectly.

Zeke held out the first chair for Sharpay before sitting next to her. Chad led Taylor to the chair diagonal from Zeke's and pulled it out for her, sitting across from her. Ryan took Kelsi's hand. He stepped in front of her and brought her to the chair next to Taylor's. After he made sure she was settled, he sat next to her, facing his sister.

Troy brought Gabriella to the second table. He guided her to the seat that backed Kelsi's and sat with his back to Ryan. Chad reminded the younger girls where to sit, placing Elisabeth next to Gabriella, Sarah across from Elisabeth, and Sophia next to Sarah. Ms. Montez took the only remaining seat, in the furthest corner.

Without saying a word, Ryan reached over to Kelsi, taking her hand once again. He held her hand gently, hiding the contact under the table. Kelsi squeezed his hand. She slipped her free hand back, tapping Gabriella, and brought it around to tap Taylor. Taylor immediately turned to the younger girl with a questioning look on her face. Gabriella turned as well, noticing their linked hands in her peripheral vision. She discreetly mimed the motion to Taylor, who passed the message on to Sharpay. Gabriella turned her chair completely, joining the rest of her guests' conversations. Troy also turned around, placing his hand on the back of her chair, his thumb running up and down between her shoulder blades. Gabriella didn't notice her baby sister, who was snapping pictures once again. The camera was hidden from the sight of almost everyone, but Sharpay spotted it. She made a mental note to find out what, precisely, Sophia had discovered this time.

"Oh no, not this again," Gabriella groaned. People were coming from their tables to get food, which was set up right near them. Everyone followed her gaze. There, standing on the line, was her father. Behind him was a woman they assumed to be his wife and two children-a boy who looked about 10 and a girl who looked about seven. Gabriella looked like she was about to cry.

"We're all here to celebrate your birthday, Gabi," Taylor reminded her. "Don't let him ruin it." She nodded, some of her confidence restored. One of the waiters told them they could join the line for food, so they stood. They were careful to stay out of sight of Mr. Montez, just in case. As they sat down, the DJ started talking about the sites they were passing. They finished their lunches just as the ship reached the Statue of Liberty, which it would circle for a few minutes. The girls all stood up and raced out to the outer deck with their cameras; the boys followed a few steps behind. Troy and Ryan looked at each other and nodded. Troy spoke the three words he had been dying to say.

"Commence phase 4."

**Next Chapter:** the rest of the cruise, including whatever Troy means by 'phase 4'.

**Author's Note:** Hope you enjoyed the little cliffhanger here! Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** This chapter is a little short. Just so you know, I'm boosting this chapter to a "T" rating as well…you'll see why. There are lots of funny images in this one; I don't even know how I came up with some. Chad's unwillingness to dance came from the actual trip (there was one boy on the trip with us, and he didn't want to dance at all...we had a good time trying to make him...) I got 8 reviews for that chapter-yay! I'm always so glad to get the supportive responses in this fandom...your reviews make me so happy!

Thanks to krfan, HSMFAN15, rockyshadow, fallinrain, the anonymous reviewer who forgot to sign, ambinlovewlove, ScRuPuLoUs, and digigirl02 for reviewing!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any aspect of the High School Musical franchise. And now, without further ado, here's phase 4.

"This is the perfect day for this," Gabriella sighed. She, Taylor, Sharpay, and Kelsi were leaning against the railing. Behind them, the boys waited for the ideal moment. They didn't want to interrupt the girls' conversation. When silence ensued, they seized the moment.

Chad and Zeke walked up first, wrapping their arms around their girlfriends' waists, pulling them away slowly. Troy and Ryan walked forward and stood next to Gabriella and Kelsi respectively. Then Troy grabbed Gabriella's hand, leading her away from Kelsi and Ryan.

"You take Gabi, I've got Kels," Sharpay ordered. The boys, however, had other plans. Though they tried to protest, Chad and Zeke forcefully pulled their girlfriends back into the main part of the ship, with Sophia, Sarah, and Elisabeth in tow.

* * *

"What are you thinking about, beautiful?" Troy asked quietly. Gabriella shrugged.

"Everything; my dad, how incredible this is, but mostly-" she paused.

"Mostly," he prodded. Up until that point, she had been looking out at the harbor. At that moment, she turned her head to look at him.

"Mostly you," she admitted. Her voice was no louder than a whisper. "You, and me, and us. Us, together." Troy reached one hand up and cupped her cheek. He leaned in; she felt his warm breath on her lips. Her eyes fluttered shut, anticipating what she knew was about to happen.

"Us together-I like that," Troy whispered, his lips almost touching hers. He closed his eyes at the very last second. Their lips met in a sweet, gentle kiss. When they pulled away, their eyes met again.

"So...us..." Gabriella began, her voice shaking. She took a deep breath to try to calm her raging nerves.

"Together?" Troy checked. Gabriella nodded, her voice suddenly lost. Troy leaned in for another kiss. He pulled away and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. They both stared out at the harbor, letting the light breeze whistle around them. The moment was a picture of perfection, and for a few sweet, short seconds, they stood in a comfortable silence, just enjoying each other's presence.

"We should go in before Sharpay and Taylor accuse me of kidnapping you," Troy whispered. Gabriella could only nod-her voice had yet to return. Troy maneuvered so his arm was still around her waist, and they walked back in together.

* * *

"What are you up to?" Kelsi asked suspiciously.

"What makes you think I'm up to something?" Ryan shrugged, dipping into all his acting technique. He was up to something, she knew it, and he knew she knew it...she just didn't know what, exactly, it was. It was his intention to keep it that way.

"I've known you for years, Ryan-I can tell when you're up to something," she giggled. "And I can tell that this has been in the making for quite some time now, though I'm not sure yet how long," she paused. "So what are you up to?"

"I can't tell you," he admitted. Looking into her eyes, he knew that if she asked again, he would break. "Just trust me-please? I promise that you'll know by the time we get home tomorrow night," he begged. She sighed.

"Alright," she conceded. She held out her pinky, making him laugh. No matter how old he got, Kelsi reminded him that he was never too old for a pinky promise. Of course, it was only with each other that this exchange occurred. It was an excuse for both of them-an excuse to hold onto each other. An excuse for the contact they had both grown to depend on. They stood in silence for a moment before Ryan launched into the next phase of his plan.

"Someday, this city will be home to your creations," he smiled. She looked at him in slight confusion, but he didn't let it deter him. "You'll write the greatest musicals Broadway has ever seen. Your shows will be the talk of the town, just like they already are back home. Your name will be added to the list of great Broadway legends."

"Me, a great Broadway legend? I don't think so," she doubted. Kelsi constantly acted like this-she didn't feel the same confidence in her music as the rest of them did. Ryan took her hands in his and met her wavering gaze with his sure one.

"You will. You have a gift Kelsi; don't ever doubt that. Someday, you'll find actors who do your plays justice better than Sharpay and I ever could. All those shows you started to write, but never finished-the ones that embodied your past-they're your future. If anyone can do it, it's you," Ryan finalized. Kelsi gulped-there it was again. That connection of her past and her future. Why did Ryan keep bringing that up? Kelsi thought back to earlier that morning, but her mind was blank from Ryan's presence, just as it always was. If only she could remember that story. Which story had she been telling when Sharpay had interrupted her? And why did it feel so much more important at that moment than it ever had before?

Brushing those thoughts from her mind, Kelsi let Ryan lead her back inside. They took their seats among the others-the last to arrive. They ate dessert in peace, striking up a bit of small talk every so often. A few of the employees sang karaoke as they finished, and the DJ called out the names of people who were on the ship celebrating. When Gabriella's name was called, her friends sent up a cheer. She blushed at their enthusiasm and hid her face in Troy's chest, who was sitting visibly closer to her.

When the DJ opened the floor to dancing with the Electric Slide, Sharpay led the group out to the dance floor. Chad refused at first, so Troy and Zeke grabbed him under each arm and threatened to carry him to the dance floor. Needless to say, he agreed to dance. After the Electric Slide, the Cupid Shuffle came on. One of the waitresses stood in the front, explaining the simple dance. The Albuquerque group was glad to note that they were not the only ones who didn't know what to do. Many of the other patrons were trying to get a good view, though a few knew the proper steps. It was easy to learn, and fun to do. The two little kids the group had seen with Mr. Montez were also on the dance floor, trying not to be trampled as they learned the Cotton Eye Joe for the first time. As a salsa came on, the group left the floor and returned to the table, taking long sips out of their water glasses.

"Gabriella?" a deep voice asked from behind her. They were all standing in a circle around the first table. Sharpay had a clear view of the man they had all learned to identify instantly. She nodded discreetly, indicating that the man standing behind Gabriella was exactly who she feared it to be. Troy turned in perfect synchronization with Gabriella, showing his unwavering support for her. As Gabriella met the man's eyes for the first time in 10 years, there was no way to doubt it.

Her father was there.

"Joe," Ms. Montez greeted coldly. She had been standing outside with Sarah, Sophia and Elisabeth, getting some fresh air. Mr. Montez didn't turn around to face his ex-wife. She took this as an indication that she should continue. "We had an agreement." Still, he didn't turn. His gaze was softer than Gabriella had expected, as though he was trying to memorize her features. The two littler kids came running towards them.

"Daddy!" one of them, the smaller one, cried. Gabriella's breath hitched in her throat. _Daddy_ she thought. _Ten years ago, he was _my_ daddy._

"Hey pumpkin!" he grinned, finally taking his eyes off his first-born. Troy pulled Gabriella closer to him protectively. She leaned into him, grateful that he was holding her up. She was sure that if he let go, she would fall.

"Joe," Ms. Montez cut in. "I think it's time for you to go." The intensity in her mother's gaze frightened Gabriella. The older man bowed his head, accepting defeat temporarily. As soon as he was gone, Gabriella collapsed into her mother's waiting arms.

"I'll explain everything later. For now, enjoy the rest of the cruise," she consoled. Gabriella accepted her mother's words for the time being and rejoined her friends as "I'm A Believer" (another song that happened to be on Gabriella's 'Troy' playlist, Taylor noted) blasted through the stereo system. They danced through the final remaining songs. As the ship pulled back into the dock, the girls grabbed their purses. Kelsi stole Ryan's hat off his head and put it on her own.

"What do you think?" she joked, making them all laugh. One by one, they got off the boat and gathered around Ms. Montez.

"I think you look amazing," Ryan whispered in Kelsi's ear as Ms. Montez explained the next leg of their trip. Their next stop was Time Square, with the hope of finding souvenirs.

All of their parents had been extremely generous towards their kids for the trip. In addition to supplying their respective children with money for souvenirs and such, a few of the parents had chipped in for the trip itself. Neither Chad nor Taylor had held birthday celebrations that year, so their parents thought it would be fitting to add another piece to the trip. Together, they had provided the tickets to Avenue Q. Zeke's mother had baked the cake from the first night and helped them get reservations for dinner at Carmine's, which an old friend of hers owned.

Unbeknownst to the kids, Gabriella's father had paid for the plane tickets both to and from New York. He and her mother had been in almost constant communication, finalizing the details. Their agreement was that he would have the opportunity to meet Gabriella and Sophia on Sunday night, at dinner. They both agreed that the girls had a right to meet him, and that they were old enough to decide for themselves if they wanted him in their lives. He, however, had other plans-which was why he turned up at the Broadway show with his wife, and then at the lunch cruise with his entire new family.

In the taxis on the way to Time Square, Gabriella's mother revealed the information about her ex-husband and his role in the trip. To her surprise, Gabriella and Sophia weren't hurt by the secretive nature. On the other hand, they were a bit apprehensive about meeting him formally at dinner.

Either way, they had plenty of time to mull it over before night fell. As the group piled out of the two taxis, Ms. Montez did a head count. She didn't want any of them getting lost. It was hard, of course, to keep track of them all-each had a different agenda. They all wanted souvenirs, of course...the only question was of what souvenir in particular.

After over an hour, the girls started complaining that their feet hurt. Since they had all found the souvenirs they wanted, they decided there was no harm in going back early. They took taxis back to the hotel. About a block away from the Waldorf, they spotted a street fair. On the way up to their rooms, they debated whether they had enough energy to attend it.

"Personally, I'm too exhausted," Kelsi sighed. She had been unable to fall asleep the previous night, even after the discussion had ended about Gabriella and Troy.

"So am I," Gabriella agreed.

"I'll stay with them," Troy and Ryan volunteered instantly. Ms. Montez agreed to let them stay.

"Why don't you all change into something more comfortable and I'll escort you to the street fair," Ms. Montez suggested. They agreed and made their way back to their rooms. "And hang up what you're wearing-you'll need it for tonight," she added, calling down the hall to them. A collective 'yes mom' was their response.

In the girls' room, there was much excitement over Troy and Gabriella's newly changed relationship. There was so much excitement, in fact, that the girls almost forgot to ask Kelsi about Ryan.

Almost.

However, they didn't get the chance. As soon as the girls were dressed more comfortably, the boys (who had all changed into jeans and t-shirts) knocked on the door. Kelsi relinquished her copy of the room key to Taylor, just in case they were in the boys' room when they returned. Sharpay promised to buy Kelsi and Gabriella something while they were out. And with that, they were gone.

"We're gonna go hang out in the other room," Troy excused, pulling Gabriella out with him. Ryan nodded at Troy, who held one copy of the room key (Zeke had the other). Troy made sure that the door to the boys' room closed behind him before allowing his desires to take over. He pulled Gabriella into a fierce kiss, and she immediately returned it with matching passion. A few moments later, they pulled away, breathing deeply.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," Troy panted.

"As long as I've wanted you to," Gabriella guessed breathily. He led her to one of the two beds, and they sat down.

"How long has that been?" Troy asked tentatively. Gabriella swallowed audibly.

"New Years' Eve...karaoke...first chorus," she revealed. Both of the love-struck teenagers finally caught their breath and quickly returned to the flirting that usually dominated their conversations. They couldn't help it-it came naturally between them. Just as Chad and Taylor were often found arguing over something inconsequential, Troy and Gabriella often flirted.

"Not until the first chorus?" Troy asked, feigning hurt. Gabriella shot him a questioning look. He sighed, knowing that it was an indication for him to share the same information that she had just willingly released.

"The moment you started to sing I was sold," he sighed. She snuggled closer to him and he turned on the television, finding a movie they both liked. They crawled back to the headboard of the bed and watched, stealing kisses all the while.

* * *

"You aren't going to use this time to interrogate me, are you?" Ryan asked suspiciously. Kelsi shook her head and yawned widely. Chuckling, Ryan led her over to one of the beds. As soon as they sat down, Kelsi started to rub her feet.

"Remind me never to wear new shoes when I'm going to be walking around," she complained. Ryan laughed again and pulled her feet onto his lap. She leaned back on her hands and watched as he massaged one foot and then the other. Biting her lip, Kelsi barely suppressed a moan. Ryan noticed immediately and, for a moment, he nearly abandoned the rest of his plan. Anytime his skin contacted Kelsi's, he lost track of his thoughts and emotions.

Kelsi's eyelids were starting to droop by the time he finished comforting her feet, but sleep eluded her. She knew that she would be unable to rest peacefully until she came clean about the thoughts rolling through her musical mind.

"I've been thinking about my mother," she whispered. Ryan immediately scooted over so he could embrace her in a hug. She drew strength from his comfortable hold. "Your letter this morning reminded me of her...actually, a lot of things you do remind me of her. She would've liked you." Kelsi's eyes closed by the time she finished and it was only a few short minutes before she fell asleep.

Ryan gently dragged them both backward, never relinquishing his hold on her. His mind tumbled over her words. It comforted him, for some reason, to think about that fact. To imagine that Kelsi's mother, a woman who had been her idol and inspiration, would have approved of him. His only concern was of what she would have approved of him as. Would she have approved of Kelsi's friendship with him, and nothing more? Or would she be rooting, as their friends were, for him and Kelsi to take their relationship to the next level? Finally abandoning his turbulent thoughts, he stroked her curly hair until he drifted into a deep sleep, too.

**Next Chapter:** The gang returns to the hotel to an unexpected surprise...later, at dinner, they meet an old friend...


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:** I had fun writing this chapter...especially the scenes at the beginning. I think this is the last chapter I need to put a "T" rating on...again, you've been warned. On an entirely unrelated note, this restaurant is actually one of my favorites. They serve the BEST garlic bread—just ask any of my friends :) I wrote the scene with the beverage orders after the rest...I was lying in bed one night when it just popped into my head in drabble form. It fit too perfectly not to add.

Thanks to krfan, anothersmallperson, writingnut2010, ScRuPuLoUs, digigirl02, and rockyshadow for reviewing!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Carmine's, the music I mentioned in this chapter, or any aspect of the High School Musical franchise. Basically, I own nothing. Actually, that's not true—Emma and her mother are mine.

Overall, the group returned from the lively street fair with few expectations. They expected that Troy and Gabriella would be lovey-dovey. They expected Kelsi and Ryan to be comfortable. What happened in actuality was not what they had expected.

Zeke pulled the trusted room key out of his jeans pocket. He slid it into the lock, then out. Turning the knob, he guided the other six into the room. Sharpay entered first, chatting amiably to Sarah. The seven teens who had attended the street fair had expected that Troy, Gabriella, Ryan and Kelsi would all still be in the girls' room. They caught Troy and Gabriella making out in the boys' room instead, the movie they had turned on long forgotten.

Sharpay gasped. Sophia took out her camera and took a picture before Chad coughed awkwardly, indicating their presence. Troy and Gabriella sprang apart. As soon as they noticed their friends, both of their faces turned a matching bright shade of red. Gabriella stood up wordlessly and tried to brush past the others without success. Taylor stopped her before she reached the door, and she cringed slightly.

Just as Taylor was about to push her back into the room, a thought crossed her mind.

"Shar, hallway, now," Taylor demanded, looping her arm through Gabriella's and pulling them both out of the room. Sharpay, visibly confused, followed, sending a brief apologetic glance back at her boyfriend. Chad and Zeke watched the girls leave before turning back to Troy, smirking.

"Nice," they complimented. Sophia, Sarah, and Elisabeth turned on their heels. They did _not_ need to hear the boys' reactions to catching Sophia's sister making out with Troy.

"Where are we going?" Sharpay asked as they stood in the hall. Taylor was fishing something out of her purse, but neither Sharpay nor Gabriella knew what.

"Got it!" Taylor cried triumphantly, pulling out their room key. She smiled slyly at her two friends before revealing her plan. "We're going to check on Kelsi."

"Can we join you?" Elisabeth asked cautiously from behind Sharpay. She, Sarah, and Sophia had just exited the other room, but they were anxious to stay with the other teenagers. They didn't want to spend the whole trip with Ms. Montez, and the street fair had brought them closer to the center of the main group's circle.

Taylor looked to Gabriella to make the decision. Gabriella nodded, much to their relief. Sophia almost passed the digital camera to her sister before thinking better of it and handing it instead to Sharpay. Sharpay led the way into the hotel room where they discovered Kelsi and Ryan sleeping peacefully in each other's arms.

Taylor put a finger to her lips, silently requesting that they remain quiet. Sharpay took a few pictures before holding a hushed conference with Taylor. They agreed to leave a note on the bedside table for when Kelsi and Ryan woke up, indicating their whereabouts. As Taylor wrote the note, the other girls waited in the hallway. Making sure she had the key, Taylor closed the door behind her.

"They're so cute together!" Sharpay gushed. Gabriella nodded. Sarah, Sophia, and Elisabeth held a silent discussion, trading glances conspicuously and hoping that, by some stroke of luck, the older girls wouldn't notice. Luck wasn't on their side.

"What's going on with you three?" Taylor interrogated. They froze.

"Nothing," they all answered immediately.

"Unless something changed drastically, they aren't together yet," Sarah revealed under the pressuring glares. Gabriella, Taylor, and Sharpay groaned as they knocked on the boys' door.

About half an hour later, Ryan and Kelsi woke up. At first, neither of them moved, scared that if they disturbed the magic of the moment, it would never return. Then Kelsi sneezed, and the beauty escaped them. They shifted so they were sitting together, leaning their backs against the headboard. Ryan looked down and noticed the note on the table beside them.

"You looked so peaceful; we went into the other room. Come join us when you wake up," he read as he picked it up. Kelsi sighed and stood up. She held out her hand to Ryan, who took it gratefully. They walked to the other door, releasing hands only seconds before Ryan knocked on the door. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Kelsi's disappointment, but he didn't comment. Elisabeth opened the door, and Ryan followed Kelsi through.

"Have a nice nap?" Sharpay asked her twin as he brushed past her.

* * *

An hour before their dinner reservations, the girls were back in their rooms, listening to Gabriella's "Troy" playlist again. This time it had landed on Mitchel Musso and Emily Osment's version of "If I Didn't Have You." Everyone had to get dressed up again, and as the girls were getting ready, they heard a knock on the door.

"It's Chad," Kelsi announced, perplexed. Chad stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

"What's he doing here?" Gabriella asked Taylor. The latter girl shrugged.

"Let him in," Sharpay suggested. Kelsi opened the door.

"The guys kicked me out of the other room," Chad explained, despondent. Taylor raised an eyebrow at him, knowing that there was a fuller reason as to why. When he didn't answer, she voiced her concerns.

"Apparently, I can't be trusted in there." The girls exchanged looks.

"He can't be in here right now," Kelsi insisted, keeping her voice low so he wouldn't hear.

"Why don't you go hang out with your sister?" Gabriella tried.

"I tried that already. They kicked me out too," he replied. The girls sighed.

"Well you have two choices," Sharpay stated. "You can either leave, or you can go sit in the closet." She opened the door to the small walk-in closet. Chad looked from one door to the other and chose the closet. Sharpay closed the door behind him, and the girls returned to their preparations. Fifteen minutes later, they were ready, and Chad was getting impatient.

"Hey guys?" he called cautiously. "Can I come out of the closet now?" Before opening the door, the girls laughed. Taylor, significantly less amused, opened the door for him.

"I hope you meant that literally and not metaphorically," she muttered, barely loud enough for him to hear over the other girls' inappropriate jokes. His eyebrows scrunched as he tried to decipher her meaning. Then it clicked.

"Literally," he agreed, "definitely literally." To prove his point, he pulled Taylor in for a passionate kiss. Sharpay whistled and catcalled loudly enough for them all. They pulled away, both gasping for air.

"I believe you," Taylor panted.

Barely five minutes later, they left to check on the younger girls. Along the way, they dropped Chad at the other room, where the boys reluctantly accepted him. Sophia had revealed anxious feelings towards the impending meeting with her father at the street fair earlier in the day; to ease her nerves, the older girls had planned a special surprise.

"Hi Mami," Gabriella greeted as her mother opened the door.

"Hi girls," Ms. Montez replied, stepping aside to let them into the room.

"Hi Ms. Montez," Taylor, Sharpay, and Kelsi chorused, following Gabriella in.

"Gabi!" Sophia exclaimed from the other side of the room, clearly distressed. Gabriella nodded to her friends, indicating that she would handle whatever was troubling her sister. Sophia held up the top she had worn earlier in the day, revealing a rip in the seam. "Elisabeth stepped on it by mistake after it fell off the hanger in the closet," she explained.

"Shar! Wardrobe malfunction!" Gabriella called across the room. Leaving Taylor and Kelsi with Sarah and Elisabeth, Sharpay sprinted to her friend's aid. She examined the shirt in question, then delved into her purse and began re-stitching the seam with her ever-present sewing kit.

"There," she announced when she finished. Sophia took it into the bathroom and changed. When she emerged, Taylor took over. The plan was to give the girls full makeovers, including manicures and pedicures. This decision had come after the three younger girls had worn open-toed shoes without painted nails the previous night. If she hadn't been so tired, Sharpay would have scolded them all.

For some odd reason, Sharpay had packed a full Mani-Pedi kit. The others didn't ask any questions; they just let it go. They understood that with Sharpay, this kind of thing was normal.

"Are you ladies ready to go?" Ms. Montez asked as they checked their fingers and toes one last time, making sure the polish was dry.

"Ready as we will be," Sophia nodded, her nerves returning slightly. Gabriella slipped her hand into her little sister's, smiling down on the younger (and slightly shorter) girl. Chatting amiably with Ms. Montez, Sharpay led the girls to the elevator, followed by Gabriella and Sophia. Kelsi and Elisabeth, elbows linked, were next. Sarah and Taylor brought up the rear, with Taylor's arm wrapped around Sarah's shoulders. The boys, understanding that the girls needed each other at this time, gave them some distance. Troy and Chad led the way, with Ryan and Zeke taking up the rear.

To the group's surprise, the limousine from the previous night waited outside the hotel for them. The boys piled in first, taking the furthest seat. Sharpay, Kelsi, and Elisabeth squished in next, fitting onto the middle section. Gabriella and Sophia followed them, sliding across to make room for Taylor and Sarah. As soon as they all settled in, they drove away from the sidewalk and started to make their way through the city.

Though Chad was listening to the conversation in which the boys engaged, he was noticeably less involved than usual. His thoughts kept drifting across the limousine, to two of the most important girls in his life: his sister and his girlfriend. Chad had four important girls in his life: his mom, his older sister Jordan, his younger sister Sarah, and his girlfriend Taylor. His worst fear when he and Taylor had started getting serious was that she wouldn't get along with his family, but he soon learned that he had nothing to fear. Taylor got along with his family as though she had known them her whole life, and nothing cheered him more than this thought.

The limousine pulled over, breaking Chad out of his thoughts. They piled out like clowns in a clown car, emerging in front of a fancy-looking restaurant. The maroon overhang bore the name 'Carmine's' in white letters. Taylor and Sarah led them through the restaurant, following the host as he guided them to a table. They were a few minutes early for their reservation, so Gabriella's father wasn't there yet. Gabriella took the first seat, and let the others fill in around her. Troy and Sophia flanked her on either side. Elisabeth sat down beside Sophia, and Kelsi followed, with Ryan close behind. Chad took the seat on Troy's open side. Sarah let Taylor sit next to him, taking the seat on her other side. Sharpay took the open spot next to Sarah, and Zeke followed dutifully. Gabriella's mother sat across from her younger daughter, in the seat left next to Ryan. She left the seat next to Zeke for her ex-husband, knowing that Zeke and Troy would put him in his place if he got out of line.

As soon as they all took their seats, Mr. Montez entered the restaurant, unaccompanied. He joined the group and sat in the last seat, beside his former wife. There was an obvious tension between them, and Gabriella felt Sophia reach for her hand under the table. To loosen the tension, Chad started cracking a few jokes. His plan worked, and they all pulled out their menus, feeling much more at ease.

A few minutes later, a young waitress approached their table.

"Good evening," she greeted. "My name is Emma, and I'll be your server tonight. Can I get you something to drink?"

Ryan watched his friends around the table in their usual patterns. Gabriella and Taylor ordered Cokes; Troy and Chad did the same, showing solidarity with their girlfriends as they always did. Sharpay ordered pink lemonade, so Zeke ordered regular lemonade to connect with the girl of his dreams. Kelsi ordered iced tea.

Under any other circumstances, Ryan would have ordered lemonade like his sister, or fruit punch—a fair compromise. But not today.

"I'll have an iced tea as well."

Emma wrote it all down and left, bringing their requests to the kitchen. The rest of the group glanced discreetly at Ryan—or at least they thought it was discreetly. Luckily, Zeke pulled at their attentions before anyone could dare ask questions about his beverage choice.

"Emma..." Zeke muttered to himself. "I feel like I should be making a connection..."

"Are you thinking of little Emma Smyth maybe?" Sharpay suggested, trying to help him out. Zeke's eyes went wide as the memories rushed back to him.

"Yeah-that's her. Emma Smyth," he gasped. The others exchanged looks of curiosity mixed with caution. Before they could interrogate Zeke, Emma returned to their table. She distributed their drinks.

"Emma?" Zeke asked. She looked a little surprised, as though she hadn't expected him to remember her name.

"Yeah..." she replied cautiously.

"Emma Smyth?" he checked. Noticing the surprise on her face, Zeke introduced himself. "It's me, Zeke. Zeke Baylor." Emma lowered her head, thinking for a moment. When she lifted her chin again to look at him, her face bore an expression of realization.

"Ezzie?" she asked, remembering her childhood nickname for him. (Zeke was actually a nickname for "Ezekiel" his Wildcat teammates had given him). He grinned, shock and gratitude mixing. Without warning, he leapt from his seat.

"Emmy!" he exclaimed, recalling a youth spent with his former next-door neighbor. They hugged, and Zeke stepped away to introduce her to his new friends.

"Everyone, this is Emma. She and I grew up together before I moved to Albuquerque. Emma, this is..." he went around the table, introducing everyone. The girls zoned out, however. Gabriella, Taylor, and Kelsi all kept a sharp eye on Sharpay, who looked understandably uncomfortable. Zeke was standing very close to his old friend, and when he introduced Sharpay, he failed to point out that they were dating: strike one.

"So what are you doing here?" Zeke asked Emma.

"My mom owns this place. I've been helping out for a little over a year now," Emma shrugged. "I should really be asking you that question, though."

"We're here celebrating Gabriella's seventeenth birthday," he pointed out. Just then, Emma's mother joined them.

"Zeke," she greeted cordially, pulling him into a hug.

"You recognize me?" he asked, shocked. He hadn't seen Emma or her mother in years. Emma's mother shook her head.

"I spoke to your mother a few weeks ago and helped set up the reservation. When I heard Emma squeal, I assumed you must have met." Zeke repeated the introduction process, once again neglecting the fact that Sharpay was his girlfriend in the heat of the moment: foul, still strike two.

A few minutes later, Emma and her mother returned to the kitchen with the groups' dinner orders. Zeke sat down next to his girlfriend, completely oblivious to what he had missed. His thoughts ran wild. Emma had been his first crush, and later, his first kiss. They hadn't seen each other since Zeke moved away at the end of fifth grade. Zeke could still remember the pain he had felt at having to say goodbye to her. Right before he left, Emma had kissed his cheek, leaving her eleven-year-old fingerprints on his heart.

The girls knew that Zeke didn't mean to hurt Sharpay, and knowing him, he was just caught in the moment of seeing his old friend. Even so, baseball ideology started to seep into the girls' minds as they watched Sharpay's expression transform from happy, to uncomfortable, to doubting, to hurt.

Zeke would only have one more shot to fix this or it would be three strikes, he's out.

**Next Chapter:** what will happen to Sharpay and Zeke? Plus: will Gabriella's father be able to make up for all the years he missed?


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:** This is the second to last chapter, so please review! And yes, I know, I'm a little evil. As I said before, I tend to throw something seemingly insignificant in to one chapter and then go back to it much later...hopefully the clue "chapter 4" will help.

Thanks to digigirl02, ScRuPuLoUs, krfan and rockyshadow for reviewing!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Carmine's, or a limo, or any aspect of the High School Musical franchise.

Meanwhile, Joe was trying very hard to get to know his daughters. He had known since the plans were laid that they would be wary of him, but nothing could have compared to their reactions. It was a combination of hatred, hurt, and...Fear? For some reason he couldn't understand, Gabriella and Sophia seemed to be afraid of him.

Ms. Montez noticed this as well, and did her best to ease the tensions. She had a decent idea regarding the reason for her daughters' fears, though she had no way of voicing them. Overall, she had to give Gabriella and Sophia credit for having the courage it took to meet their father after 10 years when he wasn't in the picture.

"So, how's school going?" Joe asked the girls across from him. They glanced at each other and shrugged in a synchronized motion.

"I hear you starred in your school's musical production this year, Gabi. Tell me about it," Joe mentioned casually. Gabriella winced at the pet name; in her mind, he had no right to call her that after what he had done.

"It was fun," she responded, all emotion missing from her voice. Noticing she wasn't going to elaborate, Joe tried another approach.

"Well, I'm glad to hear you're letting people hear you sing. When you were little, you wouldn't even let your mother and I listen in at your voice lessons," he joked, trying to keep up the conversation. Gabriella was shocked that he remembered such a tiny, seemingly insignificant detail.

"Well, we hadn't really meant to audition. We were just singing," she answered, trying to loosen up a bit. She smiled over Sophia and Elisabeth's heads at Kelsi, remembering their impromptu audition. Troy's arm was resting on the back of her chair.

Emma returned a few minutes later with their dinner order, placing the family-style platters in strategic spots around the table. Gabriella and Sophia had started to let their guards down a little, and were talking more openly to their father, though fear was still there.

The fear their parents had noticed came not only from their father's abandonment, but also from moving around so often. Yes, they were scared-they were scared that their father would disappoint them again, that they would disappoint him, and most of all, that he would disappear again. After 10 years of living with only their mom, with just her family to fall back on, Gabriella and Sophia were scared of the changes they knew would have to come with their father's reappearance.

"It's Troy, right?" Joe checked, turning his attention to the young man at Gabriella's side.

"Yes, sir," Troy confirmed curtly.

_Here it comes_, he thought. _Meeting the girlfriend's father. I thought this is supposed to happen later in the relationship, isn't it?_

As Troy held up a conversation with Gabriella's father, Kelsi stood up and walked the few seats to Gabriella, kneeling next to the birthday girl.

"How are you holding up?" she asked quietly. Gabriella glanced between her parents before turning back to Kelsi.

"I'm okay, it's just a little awkward," Gabriella admitted.

"Ryan says Troy should tell the chicken suit story," Kelsi relayed. Gabriella giggled at the thought and nodded. Kelsi stood and returned to her seat next to Ryan. Before she brought up the idea to Troy, Gabriella glanced over at her two single friends.

They were clearly in an intense conversation, and Kelsi seemed to be winning. They were both pretending the table was a piano, drumming their fingers on imaginary keys to emphasize the points they were making. Finally, Ryan seemed to give in, as often happened between them. Having worked with the pair before, Gabriella knew that the finished product would come out as a compromise of their ideas, pulling the best of both arguments.

"Ryan suggests telling the chicken suit story," Gabriella finally said, turning back to her boyfriend. He chuckled.

"Gabriella?" Troy said before turning back to the table. "You're beautiful," he reminded her and turned away. Without another word, he obliged the request, smoothly guiding the conversation in that direction. They had already briefly mentioned Troy's new relationship with Gabriella, but as of yet, they hadn't shared any embarrassing stories of their crush phases.

"One day, before homeroom, Chad came up to me and started bugging me about crushing on Gabriella. Of course, I denied it, saying that it was impossible. He said that if something else that's seemingly impossible happened that day, I had to come in the following day and proclaim that I was whipped. Not only that, but I had to proclaim it to the whole school. I agreed, and Zeke was nearby, so he helped us decide on the terms of the bet," Troy began.

"What exactly were those terms?" Joe asked, intrigued.

"That the impossibility had to include a student dressed in an animal suit, but it couldn't be the mascot," Zeke elaborated. Joe nodded and indicated that they should continue. The others started to chuckle, already knowing the outcome of the story. Kelsi nudged Ryan, whose face was already tomato red.

"I can't believe you actually told him to tell the story," he accused playfully.

"I didn't," Kelsi defended. "I told Gabriella, and she told him." They both tuned back in, waiting for their characters to enter the tale.

"So there I am later that day, standing against the lockers, when I see some kid in a chicken suit come running through the halls," by this point in the story, everyone at the table was laughing. "And he runs past, and hot on his heels, is Sharpay. Zeke reaches out and grabs her, while Chad and Jason make a barricade, keeping the unidentified chicken suit wearer from getting any further. Then Kelsi comes up, stares at the chicken for a minute, and shakes her head. She pulls the head off and there's Ryan. Moments later, Darbus comes out of her classroom and yells 'Evans get out of that, I just sent it out for dry cleaning' as if it's the most normal thing in the world for him to be running around in a chicken suit. And all Chad can think of is that I lost the bet."

"Well did you pay up?" Joe checked, grinning and laughing.

"You bet he did!" Chad butted in. "True to his word, Troy walked around school the next day with a t-shirt on, the word 'whipped' scrawled across the front."

"I was completely confused. For the entire day, Troy avoided me like the plague," Gabriella added.

"The rest of us knew what was going on, but Troy had made it very clear that whoever told Gabi was dead," Taylor continued.

"It wasn't until Ryan walked into rehearsal that day with the chicken suit on that she found out," Sharpay laughed.

"I would like to point out that Chad paid me to wear it both days," Ryan cut in, intent on sharing the blame. This information shocked everyone. Ryan had never revealed his true motive to wear the costume in the halls to anyone except Kelsi. The blood drained from Chad's face as Troy turned to glare at him. Before Troy could pounce, however, Taylor stepped in.

"I can't believe you would do that to your best friend!" she lectured. "How many times did I tell you not to interfere?"

"So you were allowed to tell Gabs to tell him, but I wasn't," he countered.

"You were allowed to encourage him to share his feelings but you weren't supposed to force him to!" she exclaimed, becoming increasingly riled up. As often happened with the pair, Chad pulled her in for a quick kiss, filled with as much passion as he could muster. When he pulled away, she continued to glare at him.

"Don't think you're getting away with it that easily, mister," she narrowed her eyes. Everyone laughed, and the conversation flowed into other stories.

When the group ordered their desserts, Emma stayed at the table a few minutes longer than was necessary. Before she left, she handed Zeke a piece of paper with her number, suggesting that he should call her to 'catch up sometime.' Zeke accepted it without a second thought-strike three. At a glance from Sharpay, the other three girls excused themselves and followed her to the tiny bathroom.

"I can't believe him," she spat. "She was flirting with him, and he did nothing to stop it. Am I not good enough for his old New York friends or something?"

"She wasn't really flirting," Taylor began. Sharpay glared daggers at her, ending that line of conversation.

"Shar, they haven't seen each other since they were little kids," Gabriella tried to reason. Sharpay scowled.

"That doesn't mean he can't introduce me as his girlfriend," she complained. Kelsi watched the other girls for a few minutes, as she often did. Something about the situation seemed all too familiar, though she couldn't place it.

"You do know you're acting like the girl in a cliché romantic comedy, right?" she checked when the thought finally occurred to her. Sharpay, Gabriella, and Taylor all stared at the composer in shock. Her tone was sterner than usual.

"In every romantic comedy, there's a period of ten to fifteen minutes when the main characters get mad at each other for some misunderstanding, and then they get back together in some cliché setting, and the credits roll, and everyone lives happily ever after," Kelsi explained. Gabriella and Taylor both nodded thoughtfully.

"So what am I supposed to do about this?" Sharpay asked.

"Try talking to him," Gabriella suggested quietly. Sharpay nodded, and Taylor led them back out to the table. The desserts had arrived, temporarily distracting everyone.

"What's the matter with Shar?" Ryan whispered.

"What do you mean?" Kelsi asked. She tried to ignore how close they were. Ryan had leaned over to ask her the question. His hand was on the small of her back to steady him, and his mouth was so close to her ear that she could feel his breath.

"She's my twin-I can tell when something's wrong," he pointed out.

"It's not really my place to say," Kelsi sighed. Ryan understood.

"Tell me later?" he requested, slyly launching the final phase of his plan. "When we get back to the hotel?" She nodded slightly, just enough for him to see. "Good. I'll meet you outside our rooms." His hand slid along her back as he pulled away, and he left it on her hip for a few minutes.

Kelsi continued to eat her dessert, constantly mindful of Ryan's fingertips brushing her hip softly. She bit her lip as his thumb massaged the edge of her stomach. Ryan smiled slightly to himself as he observed the effect he was having on her. These moments happened frequently for the pair-moments when they would act like a couple. Usually, they were reserved for private settings, but every so often, that wasn't the case. These moments had been occurring more frequently than before, making Kelsi question the state of their relationship.

Ryan wasn't the only one to notice Kelsi's reactions. Gabriella peered over at her friend as her parents argued over the check. She smiled as she let her gaze move around to the table, resting for a moment on Zeke and Sharpay. Sharpay was leaning into Zeke and he was whispering in her ear, obviously apologizing to her. Gabriella's gaze shifted to Taylor, who was laughing with Sarah, and then to Troy and Chad. They were holding an uncharacteristically hushed conversation, raising Gabriella's suspicion.

"What, exactly, are you two talking about?" she asked Troy. Both boys froze.

"Basketball," they both said quickly.

"Really?" Gabriella asked, unconvinced. She batted her eyelashes at Troy, who had turned around to face her. He started to cave.

"Hoops!" Chad exclaimed warningly, eyes wide. He had caused one slip already that day, and he knew that the blame would immediately go to him if there were another. Troy turned to his best friend, his eyes pleading. Chad shook his head, standing firm in his place. Gabriella giggled at the boys, exchanging a look with Taylor, who had just turned around. Though they had no idea what was so important, they knew the boys were hiding _something_.

In the meantime, Emma returned to collect the check. Before she could return to the kitchen, Zeke reached out and grabbed her elbow.

"Hey Emma," he started. She turned her attention to him, as did the other Albuquerque teenagers at the table. "I don't remember if I introduced you to my girlfriend. Emma this is Sharpay. Sharpay, Emma."

To everyone's surprise, Emma smiled at Sharpay.

"It's nice to meet you," she greeted genuinely. She held out her hand, and Sharpay shook it. In that moment, the two girls came to a silent understanding of each other, and of each other's feelings for Zeke. Yes, Zeke was special to Emma-but both girls accepted that while Emma was his past, Sharpay was his present and future. In their handshake was a silent promise, from Sharpay to Emma, to take care of Zeke forever. The noise in the restaurant drummed on, but for that moment, the silence between the two girls was profound.

Finally, the group grabbed their jackets and got ready to leave. Sophia grabbed her sister's hand and held her back as the others headed to the door.

"What about dad?" Sophia asked. Gabriella shrugged and pulled her sister back to the group. Their father was waiting for them.

"I hope you ladies will allow me to keep in touch," he requested. Both girls were shocked. "I can't change what I did, but I'd like to try to make up for all the time I lost with you girls." They hesitated.

"You don't need to give me your answer right now; I just want you to consider it. It was nice meeting you all," he said, addressing the whole group. With that, he left.

"Are you okay?" Troy asked Gabriella, though his question was directed slightly at Sophia as well. They both nodded, relieved.

"We made it," Gabriella sighed, hugging her sister. She followed her friends back to the limousine, her head resting contentedly on Troy's shoulder as their driver gave them a tour through the city.

Across the way, Kelsi was in an identical position. She was snuggled tightly between the window and Ryan, and she was perfectly content to remain there. Beside her, Ryan chatted with his sister and Zeke, though Zeke's reminiscences considerably mellowed the diva. He had grown up in the Big Apple, and as they passed through Central Park to its famous Tavern on the Green, he recounted stories of hide-and-seek and other childhood games. They all laughed along with him when he spoke of terrific friends and unforgettable memories.

Finally, they pulled up to the hotel. The boys held out their hands, assisting the girls as they piled out. Ms. Montez reminded them to set an early alarm as they wandered back to their rooms. Kelsi and Ryan hung back a few steps, unconsciously holding hands. As the others entered the hotel room to prepare for bed, Ryan pulled Kelsi aside. The other boys nodded at him, wishing him luck as he enacted the final phase of his plan.

When Ryan returned to the room, he said only five words between changing into his pajamas and collapsing on the bed.

"Operation: New York is complete."

**Author's Note:** as far as the chicken suit goes, I got the idea from our spirit week. A freshman I know walked into school on the first day of spirit week in a chicken suit. It was...interesting to say the least. I had to admit one thing: it takes a lot of guts to walk around the halls of a high school in a chicken suit. Guts, and nerve, and a tiny death wish. His older brother's friends, a bunch of juniors, chased him through the halls until he jumped into a garbage can. Student walking around in chicken suit=high school impossibility :)

**Next Chapter:** the gang leaves New York and learns what Ryan is talking about...and everyone concludes that Chad is an idiot


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:** This is the last chapter. I have to admit, I'm sad to see it go. I started working on this back in May, and now its March. I've been posting weekly for the past 11 weeks, all leading up to this moment. I want to send a big thank you to Stef, my incredible beta-reader, and to everyone on here who reviewed this story or added it to their favorites or alerts. This actually worked out perfectly-I got the last chapter posted just before my birthday, exactly as I had hoped I would.

Thanks to anothersmallperson, ScRuPuLoUs, krfan, rockyshadow, digigirl02, and ambinlovewlove for reviewing!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own the TODAY show, or Rock of Ages, or any music I mentioned, or any aspect of the High School Musical franchise.

At 4:30 the next morning, wake-up alarms went off in three hotel rooms. It took the boys less than ten minutes to throw on jeans and tee shirts, pack their bags, and dash to their girlfriends' room with the breakfast delivery. Sharpay opened the door this time, accepting the baggies with groggy thanks.

"How are they this awake this early?" Taylor complained, grabbing her bag from Sharpay.

"I blame my mother," Gabriella groaned, pulling out her blueberry muffin and the note it accompanied.

"Didn't she tell them to bring us breakfast?" Kelsi asked, taking a bite out of her muffin.

"Yeah, but she forgot to say what time to do it," Gabriella clarified. The girls took their time getting dressed. The group met at the elevator promptly at 5:00.

"On the way to the show, we are so getting coffee," Sharpay ordered, still waking up. She rested her head on Zeke's shoulder while they waited for the elevator.

"I second that motion," Taylor agreed, her hand shooting up just as the doors opened. Down in the lobby, the group split into pairs, the girls looking at Ryan and Kelsi with smirks on their faces.

_Flashback_

"_Your sister-" Kelsi began. Ryan shook his head._

"_I already knew what was going on with Sharpay, Kels," he informed her._

"_Then why did you-" before she could finish her question he interrupted her again._

"_I wanted to spend some time with you. Just me, you," he stepped closer, "and the most important thing I've ever wanted to tell you."_

_End Flashback_

They passed a Starbucks that had just opened its doors and the boys dashed in to pick up coffees and other hot beverages. They handed a hot chocolate to the youngest girls in the group (plus Gabriella). Everyone else took a coffee except Kelsi, who only ever drank tea. Ryan remembered this rule of course, and took extra care in delivering it to her. The girls giggled, Kelsi blushed, and Ms. Montez pretended not to notice.

_Flashback_

"_Do you remember when you had that crush on Jason back in ninth grade?" she nodded. "I hated him. I couldn't have told you why, but I did. It wasn't until Sharpay came into my room and yelled at me for getting distracted that I figured it out."_

"_Figured what out?" she asked quietly, though she already pretty much knew the answer._

"_That I'm crazy about you." She blushed. He stepped in towards her and took her hand in one of his._

"_I guess that's a good thing," she decided. She looked up at him, their eyes locking in an intense gaze. "Since I'm crazy about you, too."_

_End Flashback_

They turned the corner and joined the line of people already waiting, signs in hand. One of the TODAY show employees escorted a few sailors, dressed in full uniform, to the front.

"Quick, take a picture!" Sharpay whispered to Taylor. They both laughed, and Gabriella and Kelsi joined in.

"Why should she take a picture?" Chad asked, confused.

"My dad told me that I was supposed to watch out for sailors, since it's fleet week and all. I told him I would keep an eye out, but he didn't see the humor. We thought it would be funny if we took a picture of me with one of the sailors and sent it to him before we went home," Taylor explained. The boys laughed as though they understood, even though they clearly didn't.

Moments later, the line began to move again, and they followed the other spectators to the plaza. A few publicity agents from Rock of Ages mingled around the crowd, handing out free t-shirts. They spotted the group's sign and passed one back to Gabriella, the birthday girl. When one of the women asked a question, Kelsi surprised them all by her knowledge of the eighties rock show; Sharpay and Ryan volunteered to sing a duet of "Don't Stop Believing," originally by Journey. All three won t-shirts for their efforts. About a half hour before the TODAY show began, the cast of Rock of Ages did a sound check. The gang cheered and sang along with the rest of the crowd as the cast ran through their set for the day before reentering the building to change into their costumes.

_Flashback_

"_When you mentioned your mother yesterday, I couldn't help but think about the music room back at our house," Ryan admitted. The sudden switch in discussion confused Kelsi. "Especially the day of your mother's funeral, when I found you up there, playing the piano," he added. She started to blush. "You asked me if I could help you get away from all the sadness, just for a little while."_

"_You said you didn't know how," she interrupted._

"_You told me to try anyway," he reminded her with a grin._

"_You kissed me."_

_End Flashback_

"Thank you so much for taking us here, Ms. Montez," Taylor spoke on behalf of the whole group. "This whole weekend has been a fantastic experience." The others nodded in agreement. They had left the fantastic show and found somewhere to grab a larger breakfast before they headed back to the hotel for checkout.

"I'm just glad you were all able to come help us celebrate Gabi's big day," Ms. Montez replied sincerely as they entered the hotel for the last time on the trip. As they stepped out of the elevator, the girls skipped to the room to which they had grown accustomed. Gabriella pulled her iPod out of the iHome while they packed their suitcases, folding their clothes with care. Taylor closed the door for the last time.

The boys grabbed the girls' suitcases with their free hands. Ms. Montez had already taken the younger girls down to check out and would be meeting them on the ground floor where they had entered. There, a pair of taxi vans met them, much like the ones that had brought them from the airport.

Troy, Gabriella, Chad, Taylor, Sarah, and Sophia hopped into the first van, with the rest of the group jumping into the second. They unloaded moments later at La Guardia Airport. This time, however, the boys had the plan. They looked at each other and nodded, sending a silent signal. Then, all of a sudden, they stood up and switched places. Chad sat next to Gabriella, Troy took a place beside Kelsi, Ryan joined Sharpay, and Zeke made his way to Taylor.

**Chad and Gabriella**

"Guess what Gabster!" Chad exclaimed. Gabriella laughed.

"Yes Chad?" she replied.

"You have a boyfriend!" Gabriella's face took on a very confused look.

"I knew that already, Chad," she pointed out. He nodded.

"Guess what Gabster!" he exclaimed again.

"Yes Chad?" she replied again, this time with a hint of irritation.

"If I ever find out he hurt you, I'm gonna beat him up," Chad stated decisively, suddenly very serious. Gabriella giggled despite herself. Chad rolled his eyes in a very un-Chad-like moment. "Why doesn't anybody believe I can take him down?"

"I believe you, Chad!" Gabriella laughed, though her tone clearly indicated otherwise. He shook his head but smiled anyway.

**Troy and Kelsi**

"So Playmaker, it seems we need to have a little chat," Troy began. Kelsi immediately felt nervous.

"About what?" she covered, glad that her voice didn't reveal her fears.

_Flashback_

_Kelsi blushed madly. Ryan grinned. He slid his free hand under her chin and lifted her face up. Without another word, he kissed her._

"_I promised you, that day, that I would always take care of you. Then I renewed that promise exactly 2 years later. Except the second time, you fell asleep with your head in my lap before I could make my other promise," he whispered, his forehead gently resting on hers._

"_What was the other promise?" she asked, her voice lighter than a feather. _

"_That someday I would ask you to be my girlfriend."_

"_And when do you plan on keeping that promise?" she checked, already smiling._

"_Right now."_

_End Flashback_

"Your new boyfriend," he stated bluntly. "I know that I speak for the whole basketball team when I say that you're like our little sister. If Ryan ever hurts you, we'll be there to protect you."

"Thanks Troy, but I'm pretty sure that'll never happen," Kelsi responded. Her voice held a note of confidence that had been slowly growing since she helped him and Gabriella stand up to the Evans twins at the callbacks. He grinned.

"Good-I'm not exactly sure I want to get on the wrong side of Sharpay," he joked.

"She's doing better, you know," Kelsi defended. They both giggled at the irony of Kelsi standing up for Sharpay.

**Ryan and Sharpay**

"Someday, we'll be back here," Ryan smiled. His sister stayed quiet, worrying him slightly. "Still thinking about last night?" he asked, lowering his voice so their other friends wouldn't hear.

"Just thinking about this whole weekend," she revealed, neither confirming nor denying Ryan's suspicions. "So much happened." Ryan nodded, and the twins sat in silence. They were so well connected that they didn't need to speak in order to communicate.

**Zeke and Taylor**

"This has definitely been the weirdest weekend of my life," Zeke decided. Taylor smiled.

"I know what you mean," she agreed. "Though I must admit, Chad was acting more abnormally than he usually does. The rest of you managed to stay rather normal, but Chad..."

"You mean he didn't..." he trailed off.

"Didn't what?" Taylor asked. Zeke scowled.

"Sarah!" he called. She jogged over to him. "Tell your brother that he is an idiot."

"With pleasure," she agreed. She passed Sophia and Elisabeth on her way to her brother and informed them of her message. They decided to tag along, eager for drama.

"Chad, Zeke says you're an idiot," Sarah informed her brother bluntly. Gabriella giggled. "Of course, he said it like he had just figured it out, which I totally don't get; I've known it for years."

"Why would Zeke say that I'm an idiot?" Chad asked.

"I don't know!" his sister exclaimed. "One minute he's talking calmly with Taylor and then-"

"Oh no I'm an idiot!" Chad cried, jumping out of his seat, a horrified expression on his face.

"Did I miss something?" Sarah asked as the passengers stood to board the plane. Sophia and Elisabeth shrugged. They grabbed their bags and followed Ms. Montez onto the plane. It was going to be an interesting flight.

**1:35, New York**

The plane smoothly lifted off the ground. Chad's leg bounced up and down until they could move from their seats.

"Hey Gabriella, can I trade seats with you for a second?" he asked nervously, leaning across the aisle. "I need to talk to Troy." Troy was sitting between Gabriella and Sophia. Confused, he motioned for Gabriella to take the offer. She unbuckled her seatbelt and stood up, taking Chad's place beside Taylor. "Dude, I'm an idiot," Chad whispered.

"Yeah, I know-Sophia already told us," Troy chuckled just as quietly. "She didn't say why."

"Well, you know that thing I was going to tell Taylor while we were in New York?" Chad asked hesitantly. Troy's eyes darkened with a hint of anger. "Well, I may have forgotten."

"You idiot!"

**4:55, Dallas**

After receiving a short tongue-lashing from Troy, Chad returned to his seat. Taylor fell asleep on his shoulder and stayed that way for almost the entire flight. In fact, all four of the girls fell asleep on their boyfriends' shoulders, exhausted from staying up late every night and waking up early every day. The plane touched down in Dallas after an uneventful ride. As painful as it was for him, Chad pulled himself away from his girlfriend in favor of completing the final piece of the day's plan as they walked across the airport from one terminal to another. He walked up to Kelsi, caught in a difficult situation.

**Chad and Kelsi**

"So, Small Person..." Chad began. Kelsi cut him off by holding up her hand.

"If this is the 'if he hurts you I'll hurt him' speech, I already got that from Troy." He sighed in relief, returning to his troubled thoughts. "What's wrong, Chad? Aside from the fact that everyone has been insulting your intelligence," Kelsi asked gently.

"I love her," he whispered. "And I've been too nervous to tell her. I was all ready to go, and then I forgot. That's what's wrong. "

**Ryan and Taylor**

"I have to ask you something, Ryan," Taylor said. He nodded, indicating that she had his full attention. "Why have you all decided that Chad is an idiot today?"

"It's really not my place to say," Ryan protested weakly. Taylor sighed. "Don't worry, I have a feeling you'll understand soon enough," Ryan reassured her, trading places with Chad. Chad took a deep breath and prepared for something he swore no man should ever have to do.

Talk about his feelings.

**6:05, Dallas**

When the gang boarded the plane that would take them home, they all understood why Chad was an idiot...and why Taylor stuck with him through it all. Even if he was an idiot, he was a very _sweet_ idiot.

**6:55, Albuquerque**

As soon as the plane landed in their hometown, Ms. Montez breathed a sigh of relief. She helped the teenagers find their luggage and split them back up into two groups for the trip back to her home, where their parents could pick them up. Back at her house, they all sat on the couches in the basement, just as they had on the first night of the celebration. Troy's father arrived first, and he and Zeke left.

"Gabriella, one thing has been bugging me this weekend," Taylor said as they waited for their parents. She finally had the opportunity to ask her question without worrying about Troy finding out something he shouldn't have. "Why were all those songs on that playlist if you didn't have a crush on Troy?"

"He gave me a mix CD, so I put all the songs on one playlist," she explained.

"Was this the CD from the opening night?" Kelsi asked, referring to their musical. Gabriella nodded. Kelsi smiled, remembering the long hours Troy had put into it during rehearsals. She had helped him choose the songs, knowing the goal he had in mind. Later, she had found a similar CD in her bag from an unnamed secret admirer.

"And you never noticed that all the songs pointed in that direction?" Taylor asked, unable to believe Gabriella's level of oblivion. Gabriella bit her lip.

"Honestly, Gabi-that was just..." Sharpay trailed off. Gabriella shrugged. Lucky for her, the Evans' car pulled into the Montez driveway. Sharpay led the way, followed by Ryan, who had an arm around Kelsi's shoulder. They paused to thank Gabriella's mother before getting into the car. They drove away, knowing that whatever happened, the friends would always remember the weekend they had shared.

**Author's final note:** thank you again to everyone who stuck through this whole story, and to everyone who jumped on at the end. Thank you especially to the friends who were on this trip with me and to all the lovers of Ryelsi, because without you I would never have come up with the idea for this story in the first place.

Lots of love, melbelle310


End file.
